Rock Bottom
by morbid333
Summary: Inspired by a dream, Rewritten, A bleak tale of suffering and misery set in the capitalist state of Dnaletsaw where industry reigns and wealthy families exist like the clans of old. In this world, individuals and free-thinkers stand no chance of survival.
1. Who Wants to Camp Out Anyway? part I

**Rock Bottom**

**Disclaimer: **All characters, names and places belong to their repective copyright holders  
I don't own Final Fantasy VIII  
I don't own Gundam Seed

**Author's Notes: **I've brought back the origonal Rock Bottom. It was abandoned and discontinued but now it's back and I plan to keep it. This is the one that was inspired by a dream and in turn inspired my Gundam Seed story: Seeds Sown Under the Earth's Crust. If you like it then please let me know.

* * *

**Prologue - Who Wants to Canp Out Anyway? (part one)**

"I know my rights!" the girl shrieked. "I deserve better than this and I deserve better than you."

The boy was taken aback by this. "You talk about your rights, but what about the way you and your father have been treating me all this time. Did you ever think about that? No, you were too busy thinking of yourself. What about me?" he demanded furiously "what about my rights?"

The girl seemed shocked by the boy's response. She soon regained her composure and a superior smirk found its way onto her spoiled rotten lips as they began to move, spreading their poisonous words that could cause more damage than the thin paper cuts of fifty razors.

"You're rights?" she said spitefully. "You don't _have_ any rights."

* * *

State highway three was a winding road that stretched by two mountain passes before arriving at a quiet area that was often occupied by young lovers on quiet days such as these.

Beyond the winding passes, the tarmac road became one of dirt and the only thing a switched-on cell phone could kill was its own reception. Surrounding the road was lush greenery, trees and hills that the money-grubbing city developers had not yet destroyed with their bulldozers of 'improvement'.

The only sign of chaos in this serine backdrop came in the form of a small red car, a two-door coupe'. Within this vehicle were seated two passengers. One, in the driver's seat was a teenage girl. A red jacket sat on her shoulders and a smile of self-satisfaction was plastered on her features.

The other, also a teen but two years younger sat in the passenger's seat. He had a somewhat bored expression on his face and was clad completely in black.

Something appeared to be troubling him. He turned his neck to face his carefree companion who was beaming as though driving down a deserted road at an excess of fifty kilometres per hour was giving her the thrill of her life.

The teenage boy turned his attention to the radio. The speakers were blaring out the 'peppy' music of a popular rock song. The boy couldn't understand why people listened to this... for lack of a better word, this _shit_.

For each of his sixteen years on this earth, he had not really lived a day in his life. He had simply followed instructions to the letter. Now, he was doing something he hadn't attempted before, he was taking a risk.

The music was coming from a CD owned by the driver. She was the kind of girl that could get _anything_ she wanted, paid courtesy of _Daddy_. The music was starting to give the adolescent boy a headache. He reached out with his hand to touch the volume knob. Maybe the girl beside him wouldn't notice.

She did. The subtle movement of his hand was enough to catch her eye.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Sorry" he mumbled

"Squall, how many times do I have to tell you not to touch my radio?"

"Your radio, I thought your _daddy_ bought you this car. Wouldn't that make this _his_ radio and _his_ car, you don't own shit." He knew he shouldn't have said that, he just lost control. He had gone too far.

"I won't tell _'daddy'_ as you put it, as long as you make it worth my while." This trip was a bad idea. His companion was turning ugly.

Squall ran a hand through his thin brunette hair and rested his elbow on the car door. His thoughts were soon distracted by the sound of an approaching car. It was white and it was coming up fast.

The other car was heading for them so hastily it might have crashed. The car pulled out into the other lane so it could overtake them. Squall's companion grinned and stepped down on the accelerator.

Squall's eyes widened. He knew what was about to happen. When one driver overtakes another, the second always pulls over and allows the first to pass. It was a golden rule that all knew. When this rule was not followed it was the initialisation of a race. "Rinoa, what are you..."

"Shut up squall" his companion rudely interrupted but she didn't sound angry. On the contrary, she seemed blissful. She was laughing. She was ecstatic. "I'm gonna teach you something new. We're gonna have fun for once."

The other driver was clearly in control of an old car and couldn't get in front of them. Squall saw an S-bend coming up in the road. Rinoa must've seen it as well because she applied the brakes, slowing down to take the corner.

The other driver however, didn't slow down at all. In fact, he seemed to be accelerating.

"_Doesn't he know there's an upcoming curve in the road?"_ Squall thought to himself.

"What's this guy thinking?" Rinoa remarked. "He's gonna crash if he doesn't slow down."

Sure enough, the other car's rear tyres locked up, drawing smoke and creating a loud high-pitched screeching sound. The rear of the car swung out and pushed the driver into the corner.

He was loosing control. He was going to crash. Squall waited for the collision... but there was none. The driver was in perfect control the whole time. He had planned it all from the start.

Rinoa was laughing again. "If we see him again, remind me. We have to ask him to teach me how to do that."

"Why?"

"Forget it! You're no fun, Squall."

Rinoa carefully manoeuvred the small car through the corner and sped up. She drove at high speed until she reached their destination − Lake Noissap.

* * *

Squall had a bad feeling about this trip from the moment Rinoa first mentioned it. Rinoa had seemed excited but squall had agreed with her father, for the first and only time in his life. This was a bad idea. For once, Squall was right. This _was_ a bad idea.

"Damn it Squall!" Rinoa said. Squall could tell she was pissed. You didn't need a major in psychology to see that. "Don't look so smug. You're nothing without me. We took you in, we didn't have to but we did. If it was up to my father you'd have been out on your ass long ago."

"Yeah, so?" he retorted.

"So, you owe me everything! I stuck up for you. I convinced him you were worth keeping around! I guess I was wrong."

"Wow, you admitting you're at fault, I don't believe it" Squall commented sarcastically.

"Don't talk to me like that Squall, you don't _deserve_ human kindness."

"You call what you've put me through so far kindness?"

"It's _more_ than you deserve. I should've let you rot on the streets. I should've passed you by, neglecting your pitiful begging face. No more, I'm gonna do something right for a change. Fuck you Squall, we're through."

"What are you going to do, tell your father?"

Rinoa's eyes widened at his challenge of her threat and he smirked. Now it was his turn to feel superior. He had wounded her deeply and they both knew it.

If Rinoa's father, whom Squall was only to address as 'Mister Caraway' were to find that any discomfort was to befall his daughter on Squalls behalf, the two would never see each other again.

If Rinoa didn't want that to happen, she'd have to do what he wanted. Finally she'd have to respect him and treat him as an equal, even when the two were alone. He knew that would be killing her most of all.

"I hate you." Squall froze in shock. He certainly hadn't been expecting her to say anything like that. "Squall, just do me a favour okay?"

"What?"

"Just go and jump in the lake."

With that, she ran off toward the cementitious block of land that was commonly used as a parking lot.

* * *

The past events of that day were running through Squall's mind. He couldn't believe what had happened just as he couldn't escape the fact that he had underestimated the limits of Rinoa's treachery.

He shook his head, as though he could dismiss the dark thoughts from his mind so easily. Too bad, he thought. What would he do now, he had nowhere to go. No one would want him. He had no food, no money, nothing to offer anyone.

What was he to do? The scenery around him seemed so familiar, as though he had been in this exact spot before, not so long ago. Maybe he was lost. Was he going around in circles? He swore under his breath.

Then again, what did it matter? So _what_ if he was lost? It's not like he had any friends he could stay with. Rinoa surly would have taken care of that. Since he had fallen out with her, he would have fallen out with everyone. He was, as of now a social outcast.

"Who cares?" he said to himself in his head. He tried to look on the bright side of this situation but was instead greeted by a sly voice in the back of his head. A voice that thrived in the art of undermining his every attempt at positive thought.

"Hermits can survive for years in places far worse than this" he said to the empty space surrounding him.

"_**You may as well stay here"**_ the dark voice said in the back of his head, voicing the gloomy views of his negativity. _**"You blew it with Rinoa and now... Now you will be welcomed by no man... and of course, no woman. But that goes without saying."**_

Squall swore under his breath again. How was he supposed to know what to do? He wasn't prepared for something like this, who would be? These circumstances were beyond his control.

This _wasn't_ his fault, he didn't tell his father to go for it. He should've known what he was risking. He had it all, risked it all and lost it all; and all in the pursuit of lust. In the end, he got caught. Of course he did, what had he been expecting, and now, Squall was paying the price for his fathers mistake.

"Fucking bastard" Squall muttered to himself. If his father wasn't already dead, Squall would kill the lustful bastard himself for putting him through this misery. After all, he was _only_ sixteen. He had two more years before he could collect his inheritance, two long years, of _what_? He had no clue. No idea whatsoever. Not one. No fucking clue!

He wasn't even _old_ enough to live on his own. The legal age for _that_ was eighteen. He still had two more years to go, two more years of being forced to devour pre-regurgitated bullshit to please a sick master. It was funny; Squall had always thought families were supposed to stick together.

It had begun to rain. If he were in the city, the searing kiss of sulphur would be stripping away all of his woes and he wouldn't have to worry about trying to piece together the scattering shards of his sad life.

Squall continued to walk. He wandered around the place, trying to find his way but it all looked the same. He had no idea how long he had been wandering but it must have been a while. Since he had no watch and it was raining, his only indication was a feeling of exhaustion that had come over him, wrapping him up in a cosy blanket like the mother he didn't have, like the mother that was never there.

He collapsed right there and then. The sky's tears wept over the distressed condition of his body and saturated the clothes on his back, the only possessions he had, as his vision blacked out and his mind began to leave him.

Quietly, he passed out of consciousness.

* * *

**There you go for the prologue, I will rewrite the remaining five chapters and hopefully upload them at regular intervals before drafting more.**


	2. Who Wants to Camp Out Anyway? part II

**Rock Bottom**

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Final Fantasy VIII

I don't own Gundam Seed

I don't own initial D

I own nothing except for the names and places devised by my own mind

**Episode One**

**Who Wants to Camp Out Anyway?**

Squall lay there on the ground in a daze. He found himself unable to focus for any length of time, no matter how long or short. He awoke slightly for a short while, only to pass out again. This was happening so often his mind had become like an old flickering film projector.

His eyes were going in and out of focus for what seemed like hours. He could not even think strait. The voice in the back of his head had deserted him and now he had only his half-baked hallucinations to keep him company.

Once more, he allowed himself to slip back into a tranquil state of unconsciousness.

* * *

Several hours later, he awoke on the soft warm ground. He was outside in the bedding of tall grass, yet he felt comfortable. "...?" where am I? He thought to himself. How did I get here?

It was still impossible for him to focus, but he could see blurred colours around him. Who knows how long he'd been lying there like that. He seemed to be in some kind of hut. The walls were made of an old light brown wood.

Squall let more time slip past the webbing of his fingers before he realised he was in fact lying on a bed. Piece by piece his vision was returning. Bit by bit he was regaining control of his senses.

Since his awakening had begun, he had been hearing annoying murmuring sounds. Little by little they were becoming clearer. Something was coming closer. Suddenly, his vision returned.

He saw Rinoa. She must have driven off to blow off some steam. Then she came back and found him. Of course she did, how could he have doubted that? Even the 'She-bitch, Queen of the Harpies' wasn't that cruel.

She must have found him lying there, unconscious and alone. She would have brought him to this cabin.

"uhh" he moaned. "Thanks Rinoa, for a moment back there, I actually thought you were going to leave me for dead, marooned by the lake."

The teenage girl looked at him and came closer. His mind flashed back to one of her cruel games.

_She leaned over him __and kissed his forehead like a mother full of love for her child._

_The murder of innocence comes hand in hand with her twisted game. The repercussions __had seemed endless._

It was no wonder that he now flinched, however his eyes snapped open when he heard the girl's sweet voice.

"Who's Rinoa?" She asked; her voice full of curiosity.

Squall looked at her again, trying to focus his eyes on her frame. He was amazed by what he witnessed. The girl before him, her body seemed to be changing. Her hair grew shorter and changed from raven black, to the ideal tone of blonde perfection.

"So, who is she?" the girl asked again. "Is Rinoa your girlfriend or something?"

"…Something like that" Squall replied.

"Where is she then, I found you alone. You should try calling her; she's probably out looking for you."

Squall tried to smile at the absurdity of Rinoa going out of her way to find him. He'd tried to believe she had some generosity buried deep down within her, but every time he tried to convince himself of that, he always wound up disappointed.

"No, she'll be back at home… back at her house."

"Even better" the girl assumed optimistically, "this cabin has a land-line, just call her at her house so she doesn't have to worry about you."

"She won't be concerned about me. I made a mistake, I pissed her off and she left me stranded. There's a good chance I won't ever see her again. It's my own fault. This is my punishment."

"What? I can't believe someone would do something like that. Especially to someone she cares about."

Squall looked away.

"You're not upset are you?"

Squall didn't have an answer to give her.

The girl examined him with a suspicious look in her eye. "What did you say this girl's name was again?"

"Rinoa" he answered.

"Not Rinoa _Heartily_" she said, as though she knew the name.

Squall nodded.

You're telling me you used to go out with Rinoa Heartily?!"

"It's not as glamorous as it sounds."

"I'm sure it isn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Rinoa Heartily is the biggest snob in all of Dnaletsaw! …I'm sorry" she said, calming down just a little too late to catch herself. "I just flew off the handle like that."

"You're right though, she probably is" Squall agreed, badmouthing the person who had almost single-handedly made his life a misery.

"Did she leave you? You don't seem all that sad."

"Part of me _is_ sad… but part of me is glad. Mostly, I just feel lost without her…" she nodded in what she thought was understanding. If only she knew the truth. "…but not in the way you might think. The feeling is more material than it is emotional.

"What was it, a love/hate relationship sort of thing?

"…Kind of" he replied. Having said what was needed to be said; he laid back and once again closed his eyes. The conversation had exhausted him entirely.

* * *

"Is he _still_ here?" a hard-sounding male voice asked.

"Is he dead?" another asked, although this one was also male, it sounded kinder.

"No," answered the voice of the girl Squall had been talking to "he was awake before, when you guys were out. He told me a little about himself."

"So, did he tell you how he got here?" asked the second new voice, the kinder of the two.

"Yeah, guys… he was involved with Rinoa _Caraway_. Lately, their relationship's been a little less than pleasant."

"Caraway, oh man" the kinder voice remarked. "No wonder…" he trailed off.

"Well, at any rate, he can't stay here" the harsher voice said.

"What?!" asked the girl.

"You two said it yourself. Caraway… we don't need this shit. He has to go."

"Hey, wait a minute Yzak." The kinder voice objected. "Who said_ you_ were in charge anyway? Let's just wait and see what Athrun has to say."

"I _know_ what Athrun will say. He'll agree with me."

Squall opened his eyes. These people… they were not his friends. They owed him nothing. He was merely an intruder. That much was clear. He had nowhere to go, but he felt sure that he should leave these people alone. He didn't belong here.

He stood to his feet and felt a blinding rush of nausea hit him. He placed his hand over his eyes until he had recovered. Once he had, he silently began to walk towards the door.

He was walking past the three people, he thought he was doing so quite stealthily, but as soon as he got near them, he was noticed.

"Hey! What are you doing up," the girl asked him. She seemed to be worried. Squall couldn't remember the last time anyone had shown him any emotion besides anger but this girl, she barely knew him, actually she didn't know him at all but she seemed so concerned. "Where are you going?" the girl asked.

Again, Squall had no answer for her. Honestly, he didn't know. "I… I don't know."

"At least tell me your name."

"It's… its Squall."

"Squall…?" she said, asking him for his surname.

"What does it matter?" he asked bitterly and turned away as though the girl had touched a nerve with her innocent question asking.

"What's the deal with you, anyway?!!" someone asked. It was the one with the harsher voice, Yzak. He was of an average size with a muscular upper body and pale silvery medium-length strait hair. "We found you and took care of you. We didn't have to, but we did. You _owe_ us."

Squall looked away and his eyes softened with a hurt look as though he were wounded by a low-blow.

"Yzak!" the girl said, raising her voice to defend the near-complete stranger.

"Yzak snorted. "Whatever" he said.

"Squall, you seriously need to rest. You must have been pretty exhausted." The girl seemed concerned about Squall's wellbeing. He turned to look at her, listening to her every word. "You've been drifting in and out of consciousness for over six hours now. I found you near the lake and brought you here. I've been watching over you this whole time."

"But… now what?" Squall asked.

The girl shrugged and thought for a while before talking. "Where are you from, the city, what school do you go to?"

Squall nodded. "I go to Dnaletsaw Central High."

The girl smiled. "Then you and I have something in common. We all go there. My name is Cagalli, by the way. Whatever happens, if you ever pass me on the street or see me anywhere, you can come up and talk to me."

"Squall looked away."

"Even if it's just to say hi" she said. "In this world, someone in your position could use all the friends you can get. So can I… we all could, actually."

"Don't worry" Squall replied. "When you leave here, you probably won't ever see me again."

"What do you mean?"

"You won't see me" he repeated.

An awkward silence passed through the room. After a while, Yzak was the one to break it. "Come on, we don't need this sad sack bringing us all down."

Squall gave Yzak a glower in exchange for his unkind remark. Unknown to him, Cagalli was glaring just as hard. Yzak ignored this. "Why don't you do us all a favour and kill yourself already?"

"Hey!" the other teenage boy in the room interrupted. His hair was blonde, several shades darker that Cagalli's. "Stop it already; you're pushing it too far."

Yzak ignored this as well. "Why don't you just jump in the lake?"

At this, Squall froze in shock as every one of his miniscule muscles unbearably tensed.

"_I hate you."_

_Squall froze in shock. He certainly hadn't been expecting her to say anything like that._

"_Squall, just do me a favour okay?"_

"_What?"_

"_Just go and jump in the lake."_

_With that, she ran off toward the cementitious block of land that was commonly used as a parking lot._

Squall slipped past the trio and headed for the door. Once he was outside, he increased his pace and began to run. He was no more than twenty metres away from the cabin when he broke into a flat-out sprint.

"Yzak, What the hell were you thinking!" Cagalli began, lecturing the male who was far more muscular than herself. That was obvious. Her main concern however, was the behaviour of the other youth, the blonde. How would he react, who would he side with? She knew one thing for sure; Athrun didn't want his gang of friends fighting amongst each other.

* * *

Over by the lake, yet another sixteen year-old boy ran between the trees in the nearby woods. Under his arm, he carried a bundle of wood. He ran from tree to tree, picking up scraps of wood, sticks and leafless twigs. He ran from the woods and towards the lake, jerking his head to the side and forcing his bangs out of his eyes.

It was a five minute run until the boy reached his destination, a clear field covered in tall grass, practically swampland. Nearer the lake, the grasslands were firmer and a willing eye could spy upon the ground, several tree stumps.

The boy sprinted for the farthest stump, the one nearest the lake. This location was the most popular in all the grounds of Noissap. It was a popular place for a campfire while bathed in the light of the full moon. In this place, was the spark of young love. In the background, was the lake itself − Lake Noissap.

The boy approached the tree stump and threw down the wood on top of a large accumulating pile.

"That it, then?" asked another sixteen year-old. He was lying on his back on a large oak tree stump with his hands behind his head.

"Yes" the boy responded.

The boy on the stump opened his eyes. "So is that all we'll need for the rest of the weekend?" he asked lazily.

"Yes" the other boy repeated.

"Good, now we can take it all back to camp." The boy on the stump instructed. His thick blue hair was shimmering in the sun, relishing the kiss of the daylight's embrace. "It's about time too, are you tired?"

"No" the boy answered, although he was panting slightly from the run, he had rather enjoyed the exercise.

"Excellent" the blue-haired boy on the stump said. "You can go and take a load of firewood back to the cabin and when you get there, tell the others to get there asses out here and give you a hand."

"Right" the other boy answered obediently, bending over to pick up as much of the firewood as he could carry.

"Wait a minute, Kira" the blue-haired boy stopped him. "Before you get to that, I want to go down to the lake. I think someone I know may be here but I don't know for sure. I heard they were driving up here from the city in a small car."

"Who is it?"

"An old friend" the blue-haired boy answered with a smile. He rose to his feet and stretched his legs and together the two walked northward down the grassy slope to the edge of Lake Noissap.

* * *

Squall had been running for god knows how long. He'd never noticed how large this area was before. The sky had cleared up and was now a perfect sparkling-clean blue, free of the smallest cloud.

This was in distinct contrast with the mental storm of negativity raging within the bounds of Squall's mind. This was in distinct contrast with the mental storm of madness raging within him, taking his mind to its very limits, taking him past the point of no return.

He was about to cross the line of sanity, the line of mental health, the line of life.

"_Why don't you just jump in the lake?"_

That lake was drawing ever closer. Even now he was running between rows of trees. To most, these brilliant colours of natural green would stimulate and amuse, however to Squall; they were dark shades of grey.

His state was letting him see nothing but black and white. His state was blinding him with tunnel vision. He was beginning to loath every wretched creature existing in the vicinity of the lake. Oh how he hated them, those that took for granted what he didn't dare to dream of.

The lake grew ever closer and Squall's state blinded him of the two fellow sixteen year olds. He ran strait into the unsuspecting teens.

"_So sad, they fell over, if that's the worst that ever happens to them..."_ Squall thought to himself negatively.

"Hey, are you alright?" one of the teens asked.

The fall had knocked Squall out of his train of thought, just as it had knocked over one of the teens.

Both Squall and the innocent teen he had run down stood silently to their feet.

"Sorry" the teen Squall had run into apologised. "I didn't see you coming. What's your name anyway?" he asked as he brushed the brunette hair from his face.

"Squall" Squall answered.

"I'm Kira." The boy explained.

"I'm Athrun" the other boy said as he introduced himself. "You must've been in some sort of hurry. Where were you headed anyway?"

"The Lake" Squall told him.

"The lake? Today isn't exactly a good day to go swimming." Athrun commented.

"I wasn't exactly planning on going for a swim."

"What exactly were you going to do?"

"I got some advice by more than one person. I was told to 'jump in the lake.' I was considering whether or not to take it. Maybe I will... maybe I won't bother getting out."

"Hey! You don't want to do that" Kira said.

"What the hell do you know?" Squall answered back.

Trust us... come with us. If you need someone to talk to, if you need somewhere to sleep, let us help you."

"You'd help a complete stranger?" Squall asked skeptically. "Why, you know nothing about me. What's in this for you?"

"Kira's right." Athrun said. "Talk to us and let us talk to you. Maybe then, we won't be strangers. Maybe we'll be friends."

"Don't waste your time on me. I'm not even worth the effort."

"Who are you?" Kira enquired.

"Someone... someone who has nothing left." Squall said. "This world would be a better place without me anyway. I'd have been better off as an abortion. God knows I wasn't wanted. How am I supposed to get on with my life, what's the point?"

"Hey!" Athrun said sharply grabbing Squall by the shoulder.

Squall flinched at the human contact.

"Don't think like that." Athrun said. "I know, sometimes life isn't fair, sometimes it's just a little too tough and sometimes you wish this existence were all just a dream you could wake from, but when you live at the bottom of a cliff, you can only climb higher."

"Besides," said Kira "even if you were to die, maybe it would affect some people, maybe it wouldn't. Who knows?"

"It wouldn't, trust me." Squall said. "No one would care, no one would cry, no one would mourn or remember a worthless wretch like me."

"There you go then" Athrun said "if you die, the world wouldn't get better, the world wouldn't change and I'm glad. You know why?" Squall shook his head. "Every time someone tries to change the world, they block out a little more light. If you die, believe it or not; you're gonna be making life that much more miserable for everyone else."

"Good, maybe my death can spawn some sick freak to rip off the harpy-Queen's raven wings."

"Just come with us" Kira said, purposely ignoring Squall's spiteful comment that he had no hope of understanding in the first place. "It's just one day. Who knows, we may even begin to grow on you."

The two friends took their new-found acquaintance closer to the lake. Closer to the water they went.

The sky had indeed cleared up quite nicely, but Squall couldn't care less about the goddamned weather.

The lake, similarly to the sky was a crystal clear azure-like colour. This water often emulated the colour of the sky directly above it. Squall thanked the heavens that the water in the lake refused to emulate the thoughts in his mind. If it did, the lake would most likely be polluted with the dark colouring of charcoal.

When they got down to the grass closest the lake, Squall noticed some kind of small white car. He had no real interest in car models so he also had no idea what type of car this was.

As he got closer, he began to feel his suspicions growing stronger as his assumptions corrected themselves inside his mind. This car was the same one he had seen earlier with Rinoa.

Squall followed his two companions around to the other side of the car and saw someone whom he assumed must be Athrun's friend, the person he had mentioned earlier. This person was male, teenaged, possibly around Squall's own age; sixteen. This sort of person seemed to be invading the area today. Squall had never seen Noissap so occupied before.

This new person had brown hair on his head and below this he wore white clothes over a slim physique. He appeared not to notice his three visitors until Athrun clicked his fingers a few times.

The new person; the stranger, his eyes widened as though of surprise before narrowing once more. He looked up at Athrun, the friend that had disturbed his daydream.

"So, how long have you been here, Takumi?" asked Athrun.

The stranger, Takumi shrugged his shoulders for a response.

"Great, real helpful" Athrun joked.

"You didn't happen to notice the driver of a red sports car did you?" Takumi asked in a bored tone of voice.

"No" Athrun answered truthfully and Kira shook his head.

"Why?" asked Athrun.

"Because I think whoever was driving tried to race me up the mountain on the way here."

"Damn" Athrun said "Challenging you uphill? That person must have known your car's weakness... and if they drove a sports car, they probably have the wealth to take racing seriously. You'd better watch your reputation."

"I don't think so" Takumi replied. "They didn't handle the turn very well. They lost too much speed... it wasn't even that difficult of a corner. Judging by their car's acceleration, I don't think they had a powerful engine."

"Is that so?" Athrun asked.

"He obviously knew nothing about togue racing and as for a one-on-one drag race... even after paying out for a turbocharger and NOS injection system, I can't see that car coming any better than second place."

"...It was a she" Squall said after a long while of deciding whether or not to join in the conversation. The others looked to him for some kind of elaboration on his comment. "The driver" he explained. "It was a girl."

"Do you know her?" Takumi asked.

To this, Squall nodded. "She wasn't taking that race seriously. If she were, she'd just buy a new car with a powerful engine or whatever. It'd mean nothing to her. She'd just dip into the family funds."

"Family funds, is she rich?" asked Kira.

Squall nodded once more. "She's heiress to the Caraway family fortune."

"Caraway..." Athrun said; his voice full of loathing as he uttered the name. "_How_ do you know that family?"

"It's a long story and I don't want to tell it. Let's just say I once stayed with them but now they want nothing to do with me. For the most part, I'm glad they're out of my life and I'm guessing they feel the same way about me."

"So you hate the Caraway's too? I think you're gonna fit right in here with us" Athrun said. "Come on; let's go back to the cabin."

"You guys can go" Takumi said. "I'm going off home. I guess I'll see you at school on Monday."

Athrun and Kira nodded and Takumi got in his car and drove off towards Dnaletsaw City.

"What about you?" Athrun asked. "What school do you go to?"

"If I go back this year, I'll be a junior at Dnaletsaw Central High" Squall answered.

"So?" asked Athrun "Are you going back this year... or are you dropping out?"

"I was planning on going... just for something to do."

"Something to do?" asked Athrun.

Squall nodded. "That's the only reason. Everyone knows I have no future; I've been told often enough. Right now, I need structure in my life. Without something to do each day... I wouldn't even manage to get up in the morning."

"I see..." Athrun said as though he were a psychiatrist humoring his patient.

Squall turned his back on Athrun. "Fuck this" he bitterly muttered. "Why should I expect _you_ to understand? You don't even care."

Apparently angered slightly by Squall's response, Athrun clenched the fist of his right hand and swung it violently in Squall's direction.

Squall had not been expecting this and was knocked flat on the ground.

"_You're still as pathetic as always, aren't you, boy? You still can't take a fucking punch."_

"You really wanna know why you're like sucks?!! You wanna know why you've got nothing to live for?" Athrun bellowed down at Squall. "It's you! It's your attitude! Get a life, get some hobbies and surround yourself with friends that like you!"

"Oh yeah right, like it's just that easy" Squall said sarcastically. "Who the fuck do you think is gonna want to be with me?"

"Meet my friends. Maybe you'll like' em. Maybe they'll like you. What's the worst that could happen? Come on... right now you've got nothing. What have you got to loose?"

"…everything" was Squall's inaudible whispered reply.

* * *

Well... here he was. Squall had cooperated, he had gone with Athrun and in return for his trust; his every fear had been realized. He was back where he had previously awoken that very same day.

Perfect, he was right back with the very people that hated him, although they certainly wouldn't loath him as much as the Caraway's would.

"Nice going Athrun" someone said. Squall had seen this person before but remained oblivious to the youth's name. Squall had heard his voice before, when he awoke. This person had been one of the two boys here with Cagalli; he was the lesser of the two in terms of kindness. "Why'd you have to bring that looser back in here?" he continued.

"Hey!" Athrun interjected somewhat aggressively, while still managing to remain defensive. "Just leave the guy alone, would ya?"

"Fine..." the meaner teen answered back with sarcasm evident in his voice. His shoulder-length hair was silver. "Whatever you say" he said "I just have one question."

"What is it, Yzak?" Athrun asked.

"What's gonna happen now? I'm telling you, he's like a fucking stray cat. Let him hang out with us and the next thing you know, he's gonna want a home... and food."

"And what's wrong with that?" the blonde haired girl – Cagalli asked.

"You seem to be the only one against him right now..." Athrun said "if it bothers you so much, why don't you move out?"

"Why should I have to... ah who cares?"

"Good, but maybe you don't have to move in with us Squall" Athrun suggested. "If you want to... I have a friend you could stay with."

"Wait... Don't tell me" Yzak said. "You can't be thinking what I think you're thinking... can you?"

"Well, gee, I dunno" Athrun began sarcastically, extracting a humored grin from Cagalli. "You see, I really wish I could give you an answer to that question but considering the fact that I'm not a mind reader, I couldn't possibly know what it is that you think I'm thinking so I can't tell you what I think you think I'm thinking... however, even though I don't know what your thinking and you don't know what I'm thinking, I can tell you what I'm thinking and you can tell me what you're thinking. Then we'll each know what the other is thinking and then I can at last tell you what it is that you think I am thinking and whether or not it is indeed the correct thing that I am thinking. I think you understand."

"...what?" Yzak asked after quite a pause. "I've had it with your damn brain-teasers Athrun. Just come out and say it."

"Say what?" Athrun asked.

"You can't possibly be talking about Lacus?"

"Lacus?" answered Athrun. "Why not her, what have you got against her, Yzak?"

"What?!" answered Yzak "Nothing!" he added. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"How can you trust this guy with her?"

"Oh-come-on!" said Cagalli. "Just what do you thinks gonna happen?"

"You stay out of this!" Yzak threatened her.

"Admit it!" Cagalli challenged him. "You're not concerned about Lacus; you just want Squall out of our lives."

"Whatever."

"So... Squall?" asked Athrun. "If I can arrange it for you to stay with my friend would you come with me to meet her?"

"...won't she mind?" asked Squall.

"No, of course she won't. If you met her, you wouldn't even think of asking that." Athrun assured him. "She'll be happy to help. Besides, she'll be glad of the company. Her parents have been out of the picture for some time now, leaving her all alone in their old mansion."

"...Alright" Squall finally agreed "If it's alright with her."

"See Yzak?" said Cagalli to the silver haired teen with the aggressive attitude. "Athrun trusts him and that's more than enough for me."

"Me too" Kira added, breaking the silence he had held since he had arrived with Athrun and Squall.

"Oh wow, that's new" Yzak said sarcastically. "You two are always kissing Athrun's Ass... I'm outa here, later" he said before leaving the cabin and slamming the door behind him so hard that it rebounded off the timber frame and swung open again.

The blond haired boy that spoke in a tone kinder than Yzak's left the room without a word to follow after his friend.

Squall let out a sigh and sat down. To his surprise, he was joined by Cagalli.

"Don't worry about them" she told him. Squall sighed again and placed his face in his hands. He closed his eyes. In the time frame of a single day, life had gotten _much_ more complicated.


	3. Dnaletsaw

**Rock Bottom**

Disclaimer:All Characters belong to their respective copyright holders

I don't own Final Fantasy VIII

I don't own Gundam Seed

I don't own initial D

I own nothing except for the names and places devised by my own mind

**Episode Three**

**Welcome to ****Dnaletsaw – Pig Central**

No matter how horrid the journey, no matter how maniacally unjust the stay and no matter how much one may grow to lament the festering memories of the just-passed vacation; the return trip was always worse, much, much worse. It was the end of the weekend, time for Athrun and his friends to return to the city. Yzak had driven most of them in a Zalacorp company van, given to Athrun by his father as a happy sixteenth birthday gift.

Three members of the group however, were not there. Takumi sped his car down a mountain pass halfway between the lake and the river with Athrun in the passenger's seat while Squall silently sat in the back, wordlessly contemplating the past events of the past unpleasant weekend.

Squall had not thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Noissap – although it had been the highlight of the weekend – and he liked the journey to Dnaletsaw City even less.

Every kilometre of land they covered brought them that much closer to pollution in the land where the rich line their coffers with gold and the poor choke on the stench of their decaying unburied loved ones, now deceased.

They were heading for the land of corruption, Dnaletsaw – Pig City.

As they travelled, the sky got duller and the air got thicker. Eventually, the car came to a stop. The brown haired teen in the driver's seat opened his door. "Bring the car back in about an hour" he said. "Seriously, I'll need it back in an hour... and also, don't tell anyone whose car this is."

"You got it" said Athrun. Takumi got out of the car, closing the door behind him while Athrun slid over to the driver's seat. Without a word to Squall, he quickly turned the car around and sped off toward North end – the commercial district for the upper-class twits to spend their undeserved cash on useless material goods that no-one really needs.

Athrun drove the car through the district and stopped outside a particular shop at the end of a particular street. "Wait here in the car" he instructed Squall before leaving him alone.

Squall just did as he was told and sat still without a word or single outward sign of complaint. He had no objection to this, merely pent-up anxiety. He held no hostile thoughts toward these people and even if he did, he would have hidden them well. He had been trained thoroughly by his past owners.

It must have been at least twenty minutes before Athrun returned... with someone else, a tall slim female. Her long pink hair hung down behind her back and an exquisite golden hair clip held her bangs neatly to one side of her face, keeping them out of the way lest they disturb her eyes or face. While her face and body held a modest beauty about them, something was off. She seemed – in a word – brittle. Her skin was the palest Squall had ever seen and looked as though the gentlest touch by the most careful, loving fingertip would pierce through the fragile tissue-paper that lined her exterior and coated her as any other would be wrapped in their skin.

This was Squall's first impression of the girl. She appeared to him like a forbidden treasure, heavenly and heart-warmingly pleasing to the eye but certainly not something to be touched.

Was this Athrun's friend whom he had mentioned earlier? Certainly not, Squall debated the idea with himself. Such a heavenly creature would have nought to do with the worthless pile of filth seated in the white coupe. He'd be fooling himself to think that someone like that would willingly take care of the Caraway family pet. A bitter smirk appeared upon Squall's features. He was doing it again. He was judging by appearances. Just because someone looked angelic on the outside, that didn't mean they would be the same on the inside. In fact, it was usually quite the opposite. Beauty was skin deep – the more of it one had, the shallower one's soul. History had taught Squall that lesson more than once and he had been forced to learn it the hard way. On top of that, he had never once in his life laid eyes on any evidence to counter his biased belief. Squall's eyes turned cold as he stared at the girl.

_She would be no different_.

* * *

North End was basically an upper-class housewife's dream. A market place with fine jewellery and clothing stores overpopulating the outstretching overcrowded streets farther than the eye could see.

The bottom of North End connected with the top of Main Street and went up to a junction where the road split into two. More shops littered the streets as North End-West led to a large multi-story shopping mall and North End-East led to yet another shopping mall.

The sky-scraping shopping malls loomed overhead of the city's citizens whom had more money than sense; beckoning to them like the desperate cravings of a junkie, corrupting them, consuming them, twisting their mind, screaming like the voices in their heads.

The elevated colossal structures imposed themselves into the clear view of all residents like massive gothic castles towering high above nearby deficient medieval dark-age villages, serving a double purpose as to both cry out to the wealthy but also to stand out as an ever-lasting insult to mock the financially deprived.

Just outside one such shop on the street stood a polished metal bookstand, on which stood many old dusty books, aging and overlooked by passers by. The bookshop galvanized interest in merely one potential customer, a Sixteen year old girl with long pink hair hanging down behind her browsed through the literature on display. All others passed by without even a single glance through the shop window, forsaking it as though it were nothing more than a children's discount toy store.

'_Why should we bother to read a book?'_ This was a common deliberation between North End shoppers. Why should they be forced to perfect their literacy skills? Why should they waste their youth in school getting an education, that's what they had money for.

Silently and swiftly, as though he were taking a Sunday stroll in the park, Athrun approached the bookstore. He grinned when he saw the pink haired girl and quietly crept up behind her. "Hi Lacus" he greeted her.

Upon hearing this, the girl turned around. When she saw the face to match the voice that had greeted her, she smiled and replied with a simple "hi."

"Are you gonna get something?" Athrun asked.

"...No" the girl replied "I'm just looking."

"I don't really blame you" Athrun answered "These books aren't really what you can call 'a great reading experience,' are they?"

"They're not all so bad" the girl answered defensively.

Athrun smiled. "Yeah yeah... listen, do you think you can do me a favour?"

The girl nodded. "What is it?"

"Well, it's not really so much a favour for me as it is for someone else."

"Who?" the girl asked. She had confusion etched in her pale blue eyes. It showed on her quizzically contorted face.

"No-one you know" Athrun assured her.

"Oh..." the girl answered. "How do _you_ know this person?"

"I ran into him at Noissap... or rather he ran into me. Of course none of us know all that much about him... but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to trust him. You've got a lot of room at your place, right?"

The girl nodded, realizing what Athrun was hinting at.

"From what I've seen of him, he's pretty quiet and seems to keep to himself so if you leave him alone, he'll treat you like-wise, I'm sure of it. After all, you're house is so big, you two could go almost an entire day without seeing each other. If you ever get sick of each other, that's more than enough time to cool down, right?"

"I guess" Lacus replied, sounding unsure.

"You see, he's in need of a place to stay... if only for a short while, you may be of some help. Are you interested?"

"...I don't know... I guess..." she finally stated. The internal conflict within her mind was obvious. "You can tell him yes for now but I'd like to meet him before he moves in or anything like that."

"Fine... of course, that's understandable right? You got time right now?"

"Now, where is he? "

"You don't mind?"

"Alright, let's go" she answered in a monotone.

"You don't seem very enthusiastic" Athrun joked.

* * *

"_...Was this Athrun's friend whom he had mentioned earlier? Certainly not" _Squall debated the idea with himself.

Athrun and the pink haired girl approached the car. Athrun got in the driver's seat, then reached over and opened the passenger's side door for his friend. She got in the car and shut the door.

"So whose car is this anyway?" she asked.

"A friend of mine, do you know a guy from school named Takumi?"

"Oh, right" the girl replied.

"Well, it's his car."

Before anyone could continue the discussion any further, they were interrupted by a beep. Athrun reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. On the screen was a notice to inform him of an incoming text message from Takumi. He pushed a button to bring up the message on the screen.

_I need the car back now._

_P.S. bring it back full._

He pushed a few more buttons before returning the phone to his pocket. "Alright, I'll drop you off to your place and then I have to go."

Athrun drove swiftly toward the home of his friend in silence. Following his example, Squall silently sat in the back seat. If the two in the front didn't know any better, they would remain oblivious to Squall's presence.

Eventually the car came to a halt outside the tall silver gates of an unnecessarily long driveway leading to a massive mansion home.

"I'll catch up with you on Monday, alright" Athrun said.

"Yeah…" his female friend replied somewhat monotonously and absentmindedly before opening the car door, stepping out of the car and pulling up a lever under the seat, causing it to lunge forward like a serpent striking a deadly blow on its pathetic, harmless herbivorous victim-like prey.

After being instructed to, Squall also climbed out of the car, gently closing the car door behind him to avoid the unnecessary commotion caused by so many people whom so carelessly slam doors with such excessive force that they could easily crush a butterfly. As soon as he had done this, Athrun sped off to return the car while his friend silently watched Squall, examining him like a biologist studies single-celled microorganisms through a microscope.

Much time had passed before she at last opened her mouth.

"So… you are the one Athrun was talking about, the one who needs a place to stay?" she finally said.

Squall merely nodded in soundless response to the question. Was he really prepared for this? He was going from one spoiled rich girl's house to the next, from one hellish situation to the next. Could he face this one? He'd rather sleep in the gutter, playing victim to countless waves of beggars, muggers and thieves.

"Alright, come inside then, I guess."

Squall hesitated, seeming even less enthusiastic that the pink haired girl.

"What?" she asked, noting his hesitance as though she and her home were not good enough for him. Unbeknownst to Squall, the girl contemplated this and her gaze softened. Not out of sympathy but another, slightly more negative emotion.

"It's just that... I've had prior negative experience with the rich... and I don't know if I can take living with another family like the Caraways."

Lacus' eyes widened and she waited for this new scrap of information to settle in its new home in her brain before giving a willing response. "Well... I actually live alone here... and don't worry, I'm not rich."

To this, Squall raised an eyebrow. If this girl was not poor, she was putting on quite a charade.

"I know it's hard to believe."

"You own a mansion in upper-class Dnaletsaw."

"I don't exactly own it. It was my father's home."

"_Was_?"

"It's not what you think... he didn't die or anything... he just left."

Squall looked away.

"Please... don't apologise or anything..." she requested of him. "I hate it when people do that" she added. Her tone turned to one of bitterness and anger. "They think they have the right to pity me when they don't even know me, they know nothing. How can they possibly understand how I feel, what I think, what goes through my mind every day..." She trailed off and dropped her gaze as she allowed her anger to subside. "I'm sorry" she apologised for her anger. She shouldn't loose her temper like that. This would be the boy's first impression of her.

Squall looked back.

"You don't need to hear this; you don't even care, do you?" She asked. Squall remained speechless. "Anyway... you can come in if you want. My name's Lacus."

"I'm Squall" the brunette told her.

Lacus took a step toward the large gates but then froze dead in her tracks. She turned around. "I notice you don't have any bags or anything... where's all your things?"

"I... don't have any things. Even with the Caraways, I was deemed unworthy for the wastage of family funds. All I have, I have on my person right now, the clothes I am wearing."

"Oh, I guess you can borrow a few things in the house... follow me." Lacus approached the silver gates, unlatched and opened them. She beckoned for Squall to follow her and together, the two passed through the gate and entered the house.


	4. Peace in Pig City part I

**Rock Bottom**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gundam seed

I don't own Final Fantasy VIII

All names and places not created by me belong to their respective copyright holders

**Episode Four**

**Peace in Pig City**

Squall gradually walked up the lengthy path towards the monstrous building that seemed to loom over him as though it were considering swallowing him whole to benefit from the pitifully miniscule amount of nutrients his body may possess as his skin and tissue were dissolved by some kind of Victorian manor gastric acid.

In Squall's mind he could imagine the kind of thing a money-grubbing mother would say to their child about making a good impression towards a future fiancé whom they would marry against their will in darling mother's pursuit of money, class and status.

'Do your best and make a good impression' she would say. This stereotype caused many hostilities between the lower and upper classes and although Squall didn't necessarily believe in the stereotypes and rumours that spread between families and from generation to generation by word-of-mouth; he had experienced firsthand the cruelty that the rich and powerful could inflict upon any and every creature that they deemed 'unworthy' and 'below them' – Being born into the 'working class' is quite the nauseatingly terrible crime don't you know.

The view of the great house seemed to grow bigger and bigger the closer he got to it. Squall had witnessed some of the worst behaviour of spoiled teenage heiresses. Was he really prepared to undergo all of that all over again? He really wasn't sure.

This girl… was she really anything like Rinoa? There was only one way to find out. His first impression of the girl had been nothing like Rinoa's character. She had seemed to be completely different and on top of that, she had told him herself, in her own words that she was not rich. She did not claim to be made of high wealth.

Squall did find this somewhat hard to believe, though. She claimed to be of humble materialism yet she held residence in a large expensive home like this. Sure, it was possible that maybe she inherited the house but still… if she did not have insane amounts of cash to go with it, how could she expect to pay for the upkeep of such a home?

Squall pondered these thoughts all the way up the long tongue-like driveway. His legs had carried on the job of walking without the presence of his active, conscious mind to direct him.

He had without realizing, followed the pink haired girl all the way to her door and then stood behind her making no sound or action. She, it seemed, had conceived the concept of doing exactly the same thing.

When Lacus had arrived at the front door of her house, she had stopped before opening the door and turned around to look at Squall. From that moment she simply stood there, watching him.

Squall however, remained unaware of this. His eyes may have been pointing in Lacus' direction but he wasn't actually looking at her. He was looking _through _her. He appeared to be staring into space, lost in his own little world.

He was still thinking about the girl standing in front of him and of this house, as well as the entire situation that he seemed to be in.

For a fraction of a second, Squall's eyes met those of Lacus. This alone was enough to send Squall spiralling back to earth, snapping him back to reality and bringing the situation crashing and bashing strait up his nose. This was how close the situation now seemed to him.

He noticed that Lacus' eyes seemed to be locked onto him like those of a biology student studying their own colonized microorganisms in a Petri dish. Panic then began crossing through Squall's mind, causing his heart to race painfully. He could feel sweat forming on his back.

Why was she looking strait at him, was he too close, should he step back? How long had she been standing there, how long had he been looking in her direction? Would she accuse him of staring at her... or would she accuse him of something else? Why hadn't he noticed her standing there until now?

What would she say, what did she think of him now?

Or… would she understand what he was doing? He wasn't really looking at her; rather, through her, through the house, through the smallest subatomic particle. He was staring strait through space itself.

Perhaps the shock he received when he noticed her had shown in his eyes… it must have shown up. She must have seen it because she waited for that moment before she reacted. Squall wondered just how obvious it must have been.

Squall had no idea what he should do, the panic was swelling up within him like the gasses that cause indigestion in those whom eat a little too much, too fast and too often.

Just when it seemed like these panic rush gasses were about to hit his brain, Squall was put to ease by a simple friendly gesture. Lacus smiled at him. It was only a small gesture, although it seemed as though it could melt the icy build-up of many lonely winters.

"Is anything wrong?" the girl finally asked.

"…no" Squall answered after a pause.

"Alright then, I'll show you around" Lacus replied with a lacklustre drawl. She turned her back to Squall and pulled a set of keys from her pocket, a set of keys containing the keys themselves but also, a pocket knife and a pewter key-tab in the shape of an odd design that Squall didn't recognize.

After finding the correct key, Lacus then proceeded to unlock the door. She held it open for Squall, granting him access into her home first. Of course, Squall didn't know whether she was letting him go before her out of politeness, or so she could continue keeping an eye on the potential thief.

He walked through the door and Lacus followed him, quietly closing the door behind her. As soon as Squall arrived inside the mammoth of a building, he unearthed the realization that he could do nothing other than stand there, thunderstruck by the sheer size and extravagance of the furnishings and rooms of the house.

They stood in a hallway that expanded out in four directions to form an irregular 'plus sign' shape.

The Halls were decorated with countless picture frames containing various photographs and paintings, as well as wall-mounted ornaments that did little more than provide an interesting alternative to the plain textured walls, lest any hall walkers remain under-stimulated for more than a couple of seconds.

To Squall, the whole thing seemed wasteful. It was just another example of those living in the richer end of society exploiting their wealth while the lower classes struggled to live in this corrupt world. The upper class did things like this, wasting good money on furnishing their homes with useless Knickknacks

Squall looked around the walls, the ceiling and even the carpet. It was all littered with god knows what. There was so much of it, he couldn't count it all. He wondered if the entire interior of the girl's house could be littered with so much futile bullshit.

The brunette boy narrowed his eyes in disgust at his historically themed surroundings. He couldn't help but think this mansion seemed more like an antiques shop than a real house.

"Is something wrong?" the pink haired girl asked. Her tone did not seem the least concerned with his opinion. She seemed bored or perhaps like a stressed out underage home owner who just got lumbered with an unexpected and unwanted house quest… which of course, as Squall reminded himself, she was.

"No" he answered.

"You sure?" the girl asked him, just as curtly as before.

"It's just that… Do you _really_ live here? Is this really your house?"

"Lacus narrowed her eyes slightly."

"Do you live here…?" asked Squall "because to me, it looks more like a museum than any kind of home."

Narrowing her eyes even more, Lacus exhaled the air in her lungs through her nose by the way of a short snort. "Yeah, well, you don't _have_ to live here, you know!" she said, seemingly infuriated, although she immediately calmed down and muttered something further under her breath, something barely audible. It almost sounded as if she had said "I wish I didn't have to live here."

The remark was made so quietly and so subtly that Squall wondered if he had even heard it correctly. "You're right, I'm sorry" he apologized monotonously.

"Whatever" Lacus replied tediously, her attitude said it all. She _really_ didn't want to be here and Squall really couldn't blame her. In reality, he didn't feel any different. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Squall nodded.

"Well, as you can see, this large hallway branches out in four different directions in the form of a misshapen cross. Really, this is like a four-way intersection in its core. The front door is behind us and if you were to walk strait ahead; you'd find yourself in the kitchen."

She gestured with her arm to the left. "The left side of the house contains the kitchen, dining area, lounge and other similar rooms. On the right side of the house" she added, changing the position of her arms to point right "Are bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms… things like that."

Squall nodded again to show that he understood.

"Come with me" Lacus instructed him as she headed down the hall to the right side of the house. Squall did as she told him and followed her.

They walked down the hall, passing many doors on either side of them until they reached their destination. Eventually they must have arrived because lacus stopped walking and began examining a large varnished wooden door.

She turned to Squall and opened her mouth to speak. "This is the master bedroom. I just want you to know that it's off-limits."

"Is that where you sleep?" Squall asked, expecting a positive answer.

"No, this door remains locked at all times."

"Why?" asked Squall curiously?

Lacus turned away. Her eyes were glazed in painful recollection as though the simple, single-syllable one-word question had excruciatingly hurt her somehow.

"I'm sorry" Squall apologised "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. It's none of my business… besides, I don't have to hear it." Whoever this girl was, she seemed to have some kind of reminiscent stigma haunting her past memories and Squall didn't want her to face anything she didn't want to.

Lacus' eyes widened. "You… don't need to know?" she whispered "or you don't _want_ to?"

Then Squall realised what had happened, the girl had misunderstood his respecting of her privacy and assumed that he didn't care.

"No, that's not what I meant…" he tried to explain.

"Just forget it!" lacus hissed. "You can have the room to the right of this one… if you can't remember which door is yours then I suggest you hang a hat or tie a scarf to the handle."

She then quickly turned and started to walk away; taking hurried steps back towards the other end of the house.

"Wait!" Squall said and Lacus froze. "Don't take me the wrong way" he added "I may not know anything about you but that just means there's nothing at all you can't tell me. If you have _anything_ to say then I'll listen but I also believe that everyone has the right to their privacy and solitude. That's all I meant. I'm sorry if it came out wrong.

Lacus gave a shadow of a nod before hurrying off again at a pace even quicker than before, although not quite breaking into a run. Squall watched her until she was out of sight and then, with a silent sigh he approached the door to his new room and turned the handle.

He pushed the wooden door open and entered the room. Looking around, the first thing he noticed was the size of the room. He was dumbfounded by the spacious room that was now apparently his.

He couldn't believe it; this was at least three times bigger than his old room at Caraway Mansion. In fact; compared to this, that old room was like an empty closet.

Squall closed the door and took a minute to look around at the room and examine his surroundings. The wide dark red-brown walls surrounded him, enveloping him inside a russet-coloured cube.

He walked to the unmade bed in the far corner in the room and sat down on the dusty mattress. The bare walls were crying out in despair and loneliness. They were a vast contrast to the walls of the halls outside this one room.

Squall began wondering whether it was even possible for anyone to sleep in this room but then his thoughts began wandering away from him and away from his new room, before he realized it, his thoughts had drifted away and come to linger on the other inhabitant located somewhere in this giant house.

Lacus had definitely shown some kind of hostile attitude toward him but what Squall wanted to know was why. What was the cause, did she just not want him here or was there something deeper?

If it turned out to be the former of the two, Squall had to admit that he could not blame her. After all, if he were in her position he would certainly be reluctant in letting a complete stranger into his home.

Who knew what could happen, being home alone with someone you know literally nothing about… of course, Squall would never do anything to harm Lacus but did she know that? If anything, he was _indebted_ to her.

Somehow, he'd have to find a way to pay her back. He'd have to make it up to Lacus and Athrun and everyone else, even those other two who seemed to dislike him more than most.

He wondered how he could do it. What could he do, was there anything that Lacus really needed or wanted? This house seemed like it must contain every single luxury known to humankind.

Maybe he could talk to her about it… then again she'd probably just tell him that the best gift would be the one of absence. When it came to Squall, not being there was always the best gift he could give. Nobody wanted him. He was never anything more or less than a burden.

His thoughts then wandered to linger around someone else entirely, another of Athrun's friends, Cagalli. Perhaps if he ran into her sometime in the near-future he could ask her about it.

In the meantime… who knows, maybe by confining himself to this room, he could prevent Lacus' dislike of him from getting any stronger. This was a big house; surely they could both live here in harmony, at least for a while.

They might bump into each other sometime but he'd have to wait for her to cool down first. He didn't know how but he must have upset her somehow… he'd let her be alone then if she approached him, he'd apologise.

The time for Squall's proposed endeavour was soon at hand. It had come much sooner than anticipated. Its arrival was announced by two sharp and swift taps. Someone was at his door.

The person knocking on the other side of the door seemed to wake Squall out of his daze. He must have fallen into a shallow sleep sometime during his ponderings. He didn't even remember lying down but the thick dust on his clothes remained as evidence. He quickly brushed himself off with his hands.

He stood and calmly walked over to the door and opened it. He didn't need to wonder who had knocked. There was only one person whom it could have been.

When the door had been opened, Squall saw Lacus standing on the other side. She didn't say anything. She just stood there awkwardly, in silence.

"You know…" Squall began "you don't ever have to knock. This is your house, not mine."

Lacus gave him a small smile before saying anything. "Listen, I've got something to say… but this may not be the best place to say it, do you wanna head to the kitchen and talk?"

"Why the kitchen?" asked Squall.

"Well" replied Lacus "I've been cooking for the last half hour and if you're hungry…"

"Last half hour?" said Squall, repeating what Lacus had just said as though he didn't understand. How long had he been sleeping? He didn't think it had been that long.

"Its after six o'clock, didn't you know what time it was?"

"No, alright… where is the kitchen?"

"I'll lead the way, just follow me" Lacus answered, standing aside so Squall could exit the room. She then began walking and beckoned for Squall to walk beside her.

"So… I've been thinking about what you said before" Lacus said awkwardly.

Squall looked down at the floor, remembering the conversation they had outside the master bedroom.

"I want to apologise, I know you didn't mean anything by what you said but it's just that…" the girl paused in mid-sentence, apparently unsure of what to say next.

"What?" Squall asked.

"I don't know, I guess that room is just… I mean, there's something about that room. There's a reason why the door is locked."

"Why?"

"If that door opens… that was once my father's room and it… it holds a lot of memories for me."

Finally, Squall understood. That room must have contained her last memories of her father. "So why do you keep the door locked?"

"If the door opens, I'm afraid that, if that door were to open again, so many memories would come flooding back to me, rushing through my mind. So many memories... all of them bad" she added darkly.

"Bad memories?" asked Squall with confusion in his voice.

"Sorry but I really don't feel like talking about this right now" Lacus answered "…or ever" she added under her breath.

Squall merely nodded. He didn't want to risk offending her so he instead did the only thing he could. He stopped asking questions in silent respect of her privacy.

"What about you, how did you run into Athrun?"

"I got stranded out at Lake Noissap."

"Yeah, I get that part but how?"

"I went there with someone… needless to say, it didn't work out. We got into a fight and she went home in the car, leaving me stranded."

"But you did make it back" Lacus said, pointing out the bright side of the bleak tale.

"Yeah, well… that was all luck. I just happened to be found by a friend of yours."

"So what happened before that? Who would be so heartless as to leave you behind?"

"I suppose you know the name Caraway?"

"Yeah, that guy's in charge of Dnaletsaw Industrial Development incorporated. His brother in law is the corrupt leader of this corrupt nation. Caraway's sister's husband is the leader of the Capitalist party. Whoever voted them into power must've been pretty naïve."

"I know a little something about that; let's just say that he didn't exactly win the election legally."

"You mean they rigged it?" Squall nodded.

"Well, I can't say I'm really that shocked, I mean it's not like I didn't expect it of someone like that."

By now, they had passed the centre of the house and were heading for the left side. The hallways on this side were a mirror image of the other. There were just as many decorations hanging on the walls.

Squall felt the same silent complaints swelling up inside his head, threatening to rupture it like an over-inflated balloon lodged on to the nozzle of an oxygen tank.

"You know, I really can't believe that you were one of the Caraway's" Lacus said, bringing Squall back to the present day conversation.

"I was a Caraway in name only" Squall replied defensively.

"Yeah, but you _were_ with them, weren't you?"

Squall turned his head to look at Lacus.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"I was just wondering about this house."

"What about it?"

"Well, it's so big, isn't it hard to maintain, I mean, look at all the stuff you have just in this hallway, do you really need it all?"

"Well, no… but what about Caraway Mansion? I'm sure they had a lot in their house too."

"Yeah, but I don't know who had more, you or them." Squall noticed Lacus was looking strait at him. He remembered that she had been sticking rather close to him since they first met. "You know, you don't have to keep watching me like that" he remarked.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, as though he were merely paranoid.

"You _know_ what I mean. Excluding that time where I was in that room, you haven't let me out of your sight since I got here. What's wrong, afraid I might steal one of the priceless artefacts you don't even need? I am not a _thief_, alright? I'm not going to steal anything from you."

"A-alright, I'm sorry about that" Lacus said at last, after a long pause. They had both stopped walking now and were standing close to the end of the hallway "but if you do rip me off" she joked "try and take something from this hallway."

A smile came to Squall's lips. "Why, aren't you attached to this stuff" he asked.

"No, not really" Lacus replied. "Seriously though… if someone were to take any of this stuff, I wouldn't really mind. You know what you were saying about not needing all of this… I think you're right."

"So does this mean you can trust me now?"

The smile Lacus had been wearing faded a little. "I don't know" she said "I can try but it may take some time."

Squall nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean, I'm like that as well, sometimes it takes a while to warm up to people."

"Right" Lacus said, adding yet another agreement to the conversation. "But in the meantime, are you hungry? The food I cooked must be getting cold."

Squall nodded and Lacus led the way toward the kitchen. They walked through the antique hallway passing walnut door after walnut door until they finally reached the end.

Squall was certain that the hallways in Caraway mansion were not this long, although that house was three stories high.

"Its right through here" Lacus said as she placed the palm of her hand on the door at the very end of the hall. She moved her hand down to the handle and turned it.

The door opened easily, giving them access to the kitchen. The colouring of this new room was such a vast contrast to the other rooms in the rest of the house that Squall had so far seen that it was literally painful to the eyes.

The hallway outside this room was a dark brown colour that so violently differed from the sterile walls of the kitchen. The boundaries of this room were like the walls of the professional kitchen inside a successful and extremely expensive restaurant.

The Antarctic whiteout was virtually blinding to all those unfortunate enough to have their gaze fall upon this medusa of all kitchens.

"What's wrong now?" Lacus asked patiently.

"Uh, nothing" Squall replied, tearing his gaze from the formal surroundings of this room of professional preparation. "This room is just a little bright, no big problem."

"Oh, well you can't blame me for that."

"I know" Squall replied "Don't worry about it."

"Okay" Lacus shrugged "Just go over to the bench over there" she said, pointing out a countertop that extended from the walls right around half of the kitchen to form a U-shape, excluding a small segment that happened to be missing to allow for a large shining silver expensive-looking stove and oven.

On the other side of the room, two plates sat side-by-side exactly in the centre of the stainless-steel kitchen bench top in the otherwise spotless room. It was as though a perfectionist of a chef had been keeping a careful watch over the cooking of all meals.

Even the sink to the right of the two dinner plates had not even a single drop of water to soil the perfect spotlessness.

Squall looked around in amazement at the cleanliness of his tidy surroundings.

"You must be easily impressed, I haven't even done anything out of the ordinary and you seem to be amazed by pretty much everything you see."

"Perhaps you are used to it" Squall suggested.

"No" Lacus replied "Don't make that assumption about me, please. I'm not that kind of person… I don't take things for granted. I appreciate even the smallest minute detail."

"Then I guess that makes you a damn sight better than Rinoa… she literally took everything she had for granted."

"I hate people like that" Lacus bitterly muttered under her breath.

Squall waited for a while before saying anything. When he finally spoke up, it was to ask a question. "So… do you really keep everything this tidy?"

"What?" Lacus asked, confused for some reason unknown to Squall.

"This house, it's so big and you live here on your own, I'm surprised you manage to keep it so spotless, it seems like so much work."

"Oh, right… but I _don't_ do it all alone, I _do_ have help. Listen, can we talk about this later, the food must be cold and ruined by now."

To this, Squall agreed and they each took a plate. Both plates contained equal amounts of food on them. Lacus pulled open a draw from underneath the countertop and picked up several utensils of cutlery.

She closed the draw by pushing it with her knee and then, after handing a knife and a fork to Squall, she led him into the dining room.

The dining room door was adjacent to the door of the kitchen in the hallway. After it was opened, Squall followed his gentle hostess in and was pleasantly surprised by this room.

The dining room in this house was nothing like the one at Caraway Mansion, this room was actually quite small compared to the others that Squall had noticed. The walls in there contained various pictures with lights that highlighted them and made them stand out.

These picture frames demanded attention. It was almost as if the light was drawn to the picture frames. White light seemed to dance with the people in the static images.

Squall had no idea how the decorations in the room did that, but he had to admit, they were quite pleasing to the eye. In the centre of the room, on the varnished floorboards stood a modest square table with two chairs at each of the four sides.

This table was so different from the one Squall was used to; Caraway's dinning room had a long table with large chairs that were each like the throne in the underground lair of the mortal dark lord-incarnate leader of a secret satanic society.

The table itself looked like it could cater for at least fifty people, although it only ever served maybe two or three.

That was the thing Squall hated more than anything about the Caraway's, they were so wasteful. There were so many starving people out there in the world and yet they found it amusing to just throw money around. They may as well have been using it to start campfires in one of the world's last remaining tropical rainforests.

This lovely little dining area however, was completely different. Lacus sat down in the seat nearest the door while Squall walked around and sat in the seat diagonally across the table from her.

He picked up the fork in his right hand and picked at one of the vegetables on his plate, a piece of carrot. He absentmindedly stabbed through the plant-root vegetable with his silver fork and raised it to his face.

After examining the food, he then gave it a swift sniff before popping it into his mouth. As soon as the flora-fragment touched his tongue, Squall's eyes instantly widened. As far as he could tell, this was a Dnaletsaw carrot and yet, he could actually taste it.

Never in his life, had Squall ever experienced food with real flavour. In Dnaletsaw, the meat came from processing plants, while fruits and vegetables came from the same place, where they had been genetically altered to grow faster in the tainted soil and pumped full of chemicals, pesticides and virtually any other toxin imaginable before being distributed to greengrocers, health bars and supermarkets nationwide.

As such, all culinary arts had been long since abandoned in this bleak capitalistic metropolis. Cooking was now considered a chore by all and lacklustre tasteless dishes were considered acceptable by the tourism industry.

"Hey" Lacus said suddenly, interrupting Squall's train of thought and derailing it completely. "So, what do you think, 'mister food critic' does it pass your test?" she joked.

Squall then realised that his actions could perhaps have been misinterpreted. He did not mean to critique the food before him, all that he did, he simply did out of habit.

"Well?" the girl sitting across from him asked, following up her question from before and apparently wanting his honest opinion.

Squall quickly swallowed the food that was in his mouth, allowing it to slide down his oesophagus like a cherished object falling down the drain to be forevermore missed by the remorseful child whom had accidently let it slip through their soft, small, smooth little dainty fingertips.

"I'm not a critic" Squall answered "and that's not what I was doing."

"Maybe" Lacus said in response "but you seemed to be examining it as though afraid of being poisoned or something… I'm not _that_ bad a cook, Am I?"

"No" Squall responded. "You are just the opposite. This has to be the best meal I've had."

This last comment put a smile on the girl's face and she even blushed a little. "Really?" she replied. "Why's that, it's not like a gourmet meal or anything."

"At the Caraways, all food tastes the same, its all the same bland flavourlessness."

"Maybe their cook just wasn't very good" Lacus suggested.

"That could be it."

"Who was the cook there, anyway?"

"It was me… actually."

"Oh, sorry" Lacus said in apology for her previous comment.

"Don't apologise" Squall told her "you are right."

"Maybe not" Lacus confessed "You see… this food isn't the result of excellent cooking skills."

Squall narrowed his eyes slightly, an outward sign that revealed an attempt to decipher exactly what the girl's words meant.

"Truthfully, the secret is the ingredients that I use."

"Ingredients?" Squall repeated, clearly not understanding.

"Yeah, they're imported."

"From where?" asked Squall.

"Not too far" Lacus replied.

Squall had good reason to be confused. Importing goods into Dnaletsaw was an extremely expensive endeavour and to do so for personal use was a sure sign of insanity.

Dnaletsaw may have only been a city, but it had its own government and was the only real city on the entire cotenant, save for a few run down tourist spots and other small towns but these were now seen as 'daughter towns' under the rule of Dnaletsaw government. For all intensive purposes, Dnaletsaw _was_ its own country.

"There is a farm" Lacus explained "on the other side of the continent, it's a huge mass of farmland and the guy who owns it is a friend of my…" she paused in mid-sentence; it was a while before she started speaking again. "He's an old family friend."

Squall nodded. She didn't have to say anymore, Squall could guess the rest; it was possible that vegetables grown naturally, far away from the pollution, smog and chemical atmosphere of pig city could taste… nothing other than natural.

After some time had passed and the food had been devoured by the two diners, Lacus suggested to Squall that he relax in the living room, located through the second door on the right in the hallway.

At this suggestion, Squall's eyes narrowed. "Why" he asked.

Although it had been her idea, Lacus had no answer for Squall's question. "What do you mean why?"

"Why are you telling me to relax, what about all this?"

"Oh, don't worry about this" Lacus reassured him, finally realising what he was talking about "I'll clean this all up in no time."

"But you cooked" Squall protested.

"So what, Haven't you ever heard of the cook cleaning?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it, I've believed in it, I've lived it, I've hated it."

"Really, so you were like Caraway's maid then?" Lacus laughed.

"Well, maybe hate as a little too strong a word" Squall said "I just don't think its fair."

"It's not so bad" Lacus said. "The kitchen has a dishwasher so the washing is all taken care of, drying and putting away still has to be done though… if you really feel that bad about it, maybe you can help me with that, okay?"

Squall nodded.

"I really don't understand why you want to though; you're supposed to be a guest."

"I just…" Squall began, unsure of how to finish. "I guess I owe you for letting me stay here, I want to pay you back in any way I can and this is the only way. I just want to help out with anything I can. I owe you that much at least."

"Forget it" Lacus replied. "Don't even think about it, you staying here is just me doing a favour for Athrun, nothing more… so you don't owe me a thing."

"Yeah, but I still want to help."

"Fine" Lacus gave in, to avoid an unnecessary conflict. "You can wash these dishes… but could you do them by hand? I know it may seem odd but I just don't like using a big appliance to clean a couple of plates and some cutlery."

Squall nodded in agreement. He had to admit, he'd never thought about it but using a dishwasher would be a huge waste of water. He was used to washing them by hand, anyway. He was confident that he could handle dishwashing of this small volume faster than a machine designed to clean dishes after a large dinner party.

As expected, Squall had been able to thoroughly wash and rinse the small amount of dishes rather rapidly and effortlessly. To make things even easier, Lacus stepped in without a word to dry and put away all dishes.

Between the two of them, the entire task had been completed within a couple of minutes and the two housemates found themselves with ample time before them. They left the kitchen and entered the lounge, located two rooms down the hall.

The layout of this room was quite a simple one, there was little furniture and furnishings within its four walls. One side of the room contained the only door and on the other was an open fireplace. On either side of this primitive heating device were two comfortable looking armchairs.

In the centre of the room sat a three-seat sofa pointed towards an average sized television set.

The two new roommates had entered this room and sat on the couch. The minutes passed and they began to talk, each new chunk of conversation leading them closer toward friendship as they steadily got to know one another better.

"I know you are probably gonna take this the wrong way" Lacus said "But you know, I still find it hard to believe that you spent your entire life with the Caraways and now, you are in the company of the family and friends of their greatest rivals… it just seems so unbelievable."

Squall nodded in agreement.

"So, what are they like? The Caraways, I mean. I know the rumours that have been spread between different families what are they truthfully like?"

Squall paused for a while to consider how he should answer that question. He looked around at the dark green walls and charcoal carpet. "The rumours" he finally said "are not far off."

"Really?" said Lacus with eyes wide open in surprise, as though she were a mentally idle housewife gossiping to her friends about the latest TV drama "You mean everything is true?"

Squall nodded silently in response.

"I've heard a lot about them and sure, I believed some of it but I seriously thought most of it was just Zala family propaganda, you know, badmouthing the competition."

Squall knew exactly what the pink haired girl beside him was talking about; after all, the name Zala was a constant curse within the stone walls of Caraway Mansion.

"I've heard so much about them and its just so hard to believe that anyone can do so many bad things… well, I guess its not _impossible_ to believe… especially from some people" the girl said forebodingly. "I can't believe Caraway could sink so low as to consort with vile liars and lowlifes like the Loire family."

Squall looked to Lacus, his attention focused on her face. "Do you… do you know that family?"

"I know one member… and that is enough" Lacus answered. She shut her eyes tightly. "I know it may seem supercilious to judge an entire family based purely by the beliefs and actions of one person but…" she trailed off and opened her eyes, which Squall noticed appeared more watery than before. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Which one did you know, what did he do?"

Lacus closed her eyes again and began shaking her head violently. "No" she protested "I-I can't, I'm sorry, I just can't talk about that."

"Just tell me his name." Lacus closed her eyes once more.

"No…"

Lacus' eyes suddenly snapped open as though she had just realised something. "Squall, you are going to Dnaletsaw Central High, right?"

"Yeah" Squall answered.

"So what about your school supplies?" asked Lacus.

"I don't know" Squall confessed.

"Well, tomorrow's Monday, what year level are you?"

"This will be my third year."

"Right, the same as me" Lacus concluded "that means you'll have to go tomorrow morning for the whole class sorting thing. After that we can go to a whole bunch of shops and get anything you need."

"Yeah, thanks but I have no money."

"Don't worry about it" Lacus said "I can pay for everything."

"But…"

"You are so negative" Lacus said, she was loosing patience with the pessimistic person beside her. "What's wrong this time?"

"You realise that I may never be able to pay you back for all this."

"Like I already told you before, you don't need to worry about that. This house is way too big for just one person and also… if it's about the money, don't worry about that either; I have far too much."

"…Alright" Squall finally agreed, convincing himself that if Lacus ever wanted anything in the form of a reimbursement, she would surly ask and he would be more than happy to oblige.

"Okay, then that's sorted. I can arrange for someone to drop us off" Lacus explained.

"Who, Takumi?" asked Squall.

"No" Lacus replied "Someone else, he's in the employment of this house."

"Who is he?"

"He is a chauffeur, a butler, a gardener, a friend. He is the closest thing I have to any kind of parental figure" the girl explained. She looked away. "…And you'll need a uniform, do you know what size you are?"

Clothing sizes for the most part in the city no longer were determined by names or measurements; they were instead labelled with universal numbers.

"About a seven" Squall answered her. There were eight number labels, labelled five through twelve and seven was the equivalent to the old designation of a 'medium.'

"Alright" said Lacus "I can arrange for a new uniform for you, it'll only take a short phone call… but in the meantime, you can help me make you up a bed."

"No, don't worry. You don't have to do that" Squall replied.

"What?" asked Lacus confusedly. She apparently didn't understand Squall's point of view about not needing a properly made bed.

"I can sleep on the floor, that's good enough."

"You _can't_ be serious."

"Why do you care?" Squall asked, wondering about the girl's concern.

"I can't have someone stay here and sleep on the floor; that would be unethical to say the least. Come on, it won't take long, just a few minutes, that's all."

Squall eventually agreed and accepted the offer, deciding it would be easier to just go with the whole idea, than to waste time arguing and fighting. "Alright" he answered her.

Lacus walked in front of her guest and led the way once again, this time, to the linen closet. The door in question was located in the hallway. The actual door to the closet was near the centre of the house, on the side of the bedrooms.

Lacus pulled out some neatly folded and packed snow coloured sheets. She handed them to Squall. Reaching in further, she also pulled out a folded lime woollen blanket and an aquatic blue pillowcase. "Here, take these to your room" she said as she handed over the items "You remember the way, right?" she asked.

"Yeah" Squall answered, ignoring the possible hint at his incompetence.

While Squall carried the bundle of fabric to his new room, Lacus closed the closet door and followed him, ready to help him make up the bed, his new location of rest.

She followed Squall through the hallway; past the many doors… past _that_ door… finally they arrived at the entrance to Squall's room.

Squall placed the beddings on the floor and separated the sheets from the blanket and from each other.

"I'll help" Lacus informed him "between the two of us; it'll take next to no time at all." She picked up the nearest folded bed sheet and shook it open. "Here" she said to Squall "Take the other end of this."

The brunette boy did so with haste and together, they placed it on the mattress. They quickly overlaid that one sheet with the other and topped it off with the green blanket.

"There are more pillows located in the linen closet" Lacus informed her brunette acquaintance. "If you need more, you can help yourself."

There was one pillow on the bed already. This had been placed aside while the two made up the bed. Squall promptly slipped a cover onto the pillow and put it in its place at the head of the bed.

"I don't know how many pillows you are used to, some people like two, some even like three."

"One is enough" Squall answered.

"Alright" Lacus said "Look strait ahead, you'll see two doors. The one on the left is a wardrobe; the one on the right is a bathroom. It's connected to this room so you can… bathe in privacy."

Squall nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll be back in a few minutes with clothes and… that's all you need, right?"

"Yeah" answered Squall.

"Okay, if you need anything else, just ask" Lacus offered. She slowly walked out of the room and headed down the hallway.

She walked to the centre of the hall, to the exit. To the right of the front door was a cordless phone hanging on the wall.

Lacus picked up the phone and turned it on. She paused for a moment before dialling the number, trapped in consideration and mental preparation of what to say.

What would he say, the man on the other end of the phone line could be considered a friend – but would he understand, could he arrange it all for her?

Lacus wasn't even sure how early the school's uniform shop opened. She took in a deep breath and let it out along with all her doubts before being snapped back to the present situation by the abrupt change in the phone's dial tone.

Lacus hastily turned the shrill phone off, then on again and pushed auto-dial: 01.

She raised the handheld plastic device to her ear and heard in ring. It rang a few times before the rings suddenly stopped; to be replaced by a brief clicking sound and light static… just static and nothing else, no one spoke a single syllable or made so much as a sound.

"…uh, hi" Lacus began; unsure even of who she was talking to. "It's me… its Lacus."

"I know who you are" the calm male voice on the other end of the line replied coolly "Although its been some time since you contacted me last, you haven't used my services since the end of the last school year, if my memory serves me correct."

"That's right" Lacus confirmed "But now I have a favour to ask you."

"I'll pick you up ready for school and pick you up after you've finished, just like I always have, as per my agreement with your family."

"Yes, I know but there is something more."

"Oh, and what might that be?" the voice on the other end of the phone line asked somewhat amusedly.

"Well, I have someone… a-a friend… is staying here with me so… I was wandering…"

"Let me guess" the voice said, cutting her off in the middle of her awkward question. "You need a uniform for this… friend."

"Yes, that's it exactly."

"I thought as much. Alright, so what is he, about a seven."

"Yeah right again" Lacus commented "…wait a minute" she said, noticing something about the voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes, is something the matter?"

"How did you know it was a _he?"_ she asked.

"Would you believe a lucky guess?" the voice asked. "No, actually Iwas passing and I saw the two of you walking towards the door of the house and I guessed he must be a friend of yours."

"Oh" Lacus said at the voice's explanation "But… I didn't see a car on the road?" For what seemed like a minute, the phone line went dead.

"Didn't you? Well, I guess you must have been preoccupied with other things on your mind. You just didn't notice me. That's all."

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense" Lacus concluded, she _did_ have a lot on her mind after all.

"Well, don't worry about it, consider it done, I'll have the uniform all ready for your friend" the voice assured her.

"Really?" asked Lacus, this seemed to be in very short notice but the person on the other end of the line seemed nothing short of happy to go along with the request.

"Sure, I have a size seven uniform right here, I got _you_ one as well. I'll drop in early and swap it over with your old one. You both get new uniforms and don't worry about your old one; I'll take care of it for you."

"…But how did you know I'd ask you for this?"

"Don't concern yourself with… I mean, don't you worry about that. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Okay" Lacus answered "I'll see you then." The girl heard another short clicking sound, indicating that the call had been ended by the other end. Lacus followed suit and turned off her cordless phone before hanging it up on the charger.

Wasting no time in getting everything that needed doing out of the way, Lacus headed for the linen closet once more and pulled out a towel.

* * *

Standing under the hot water in the shower, Squall leaned forward with his hands open against the wall. He allowed the water to run down the back of his head and all the way down his back. Although he had already washed the soap from his head and body, he found the water running down his back quite relaxing. The relaxation ended as swiftly as it had come however, with a knock at the door.

Squall's eyes snapped open wide as he stared strait at the direction of the disturbance. The door cracked open and an arm made its way through the new gap.

The hand at the end of the arm turned over and the fingers opened up, allowing its load to fall to the floor. The load that the hand dropped included a towel and various undergarments for the average sized male.

"Squall, are you in there?" asked Lacus' voice in a monotone.

"Yeah" followed Squall's hoarse answer.

"I dropped a towel in there for you, and something for you to wear until tomorrow morning. Its not new but its clean so don't worry."

"Squall thanked the contributor of the clothes and waited for her to leave before shutting off the water and stepping out of the shower.

He picked up the white towel and began drying himself with it before examining the underclothes that lay down on the floor before him.

His first impression of them was not great, they seemed a little too big for him but he tried them all the same. There were two undergarments, a pair of boxer shorts with semi-worn elastic and an oversized grey t-shirt with an outdated design on the front.

He hastily dressed in these clothes and left the room with his old clothes and towel in hand. In the next room, Squall found Lacus waiting for him, leaning with her back to the wall.

"I set up an alarm clock for you; just use the buttons to set the alarm time, and then set the alarm to buzzer or radio."

Squall nodded and thanked the girl.

"Oh, and I'll take those for you" Lacus told him, indicating the clothes in his hand.

"I've already arranged for a new uniform for you, it'll be here tomorrow" she said.

She took the clothes from Squall so she could put them somewhere to be cleaned in the near future. "Alright, then I'll see you again tomorrow" she said as she turned around and walked out through the hallway.

When she had left, Squall pushed a few buttons on the clock and set the alarm for 6:30 the next morning. He turned off the light and slipped into the bed. As he lay there with the bed sheets wrapped tightly around him like a mothers arms, he was quite amazed by the sheer level of comfort that was at that moment enveloping him and piercing his skin with many pinprick-waves of relaxation.

He curled himself into a ball - the way a domestic cat would do while lazing about in the sun – and drifted off into a sound, undisturbed sleep almost instantly. That had been the first in a long list of occasions where he would attain rest so effortlessly… and for once, it had little or nothing to do with exhaustion.


	5. Loyalty

**Rock Bottom**

**Disclaimer: **Dnaletsaw, the setting and plot belong to me. All names and characters belong to their respectful copyright holders.

I don't own Gundam Seed

I don't own Final Fantasy VIII

I don't own Hellsing

I don't own Home Improvement

**Episode Five – Loyalty**

The peaceful cloak of twilight had come and gone, travelling through Clyne House and enveloping all those who dwelt there deep inside a protective shell of tranquillity as they gave in to the calming rays of slumber. Peace was a luxury of exquisite proportions and in a place like Pig City it was somewhat hard to come by. To be at peace with not only one's surroundings but also one's peers and most of all oneself was such a harmonious feeling and like many of the wondrous things in the world, it would _not_ last.

The current occupants of Clyne House would have liked to continue their dead silent slumber for as long as the earth continued to spin on its axis in orbit of the Sun but such things were not for the living. On the contrary, the quest for eternal rest was one undertaken by those who had passed on from the plain of the living, it was a quest for the dead and those who had died could never return to their lives, such were the rules of the universe and could be bended by no entity, no matter how powerful or manipulative said individual may be.

The pink-haired girl awoke suddenly to the sound of her alarm and instantly shut it off. She had a guest staying with her now and the last thing she wanted was to wake him with her buzz-saw. The girl now lay wide awake in her bed, her arm still outstretched, her hand still holding down the alarm clocks off switch. She took a deep breath and let it all out at once as a sharp sigh. Her room was brightly illuminated by the natural light entering through the curtain-less windows in her outside wall, bathing the entire irregular cuboid in a crystal-clear pure white light.

Lacus slid her long legs around to the side of her bed and slipped out from beneath the bed sheets. Wearing an oversized white T-shirt, she exited her room and after closing the door behind her, crossed the hallway to the main bathroom. She figured that since Squall would be using the adjoining facilities next to his room, she may as well use the house's main bathroom all for herself. Once in the bathroom, she closed the door, turned on the water in the shower, removed her clothing and immediately stepped under the hot water.

She felt a cloak of grogginess and fatigue draped around her, asphyxiating her. Oh how she longed to be free of said cloak. Today would b a long day. She quickly washed her hair and body and after she was done, shut off the water. She stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel when something outside caught her eye. Outside in clear view of the bathroom window sat a familiar looking car.

Water vapour lifted from the girl's body like mist from the road on a hot day as she wrapped the towel tightly around herself and crossed the hall once again on her way back to her bedroom.

That was _his_ car, the man she had called the night before. When had _he_ arrived? He had his own key to the house so he could let himself in but she had to hurry and get dressed before he did so. She didn't want him to see her wearing only a towel.

She reached her room and opened her door and saw him before she even took a step forward.

He was in her room.

What was he doing in there and just _how_ long had he been there anyway?

"Good morning, Miss Lacus" the man said in his usual calm aristocratic manner.

"Oh, hello Walter… I didn't expect you to…" she trailed off in mild embarrassment, she hadn't wanted him to walk in on her in the middle of dressing but somehow, this seemed just as bad.

"I brought you your new uniform." The tall man gestured to two uniforms set out on her bed, which she noticed had been made up for her. One uniform was for a female in her size, the other was for Squall.

"Oh, thank you" the girl replied, approaching the bed. The man walked past her, leaving her to her privacy.

As soon as she heard the door softly close, Lacus quickly dressed in her new uniform – which consisted of a white blouse, red tie and a blue skirt. She bundled up the uniform that was to be for Squall and exited the room, heading for Squall's room.

She saw that Walter had been waiting just outside her room for her. When she began walking down the hall, the tall butler began walking beside her. The middle-aged man had his greying shoulder-length hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and had a monocle over one eye, thus completing the aristocratic look he was giving off.

"Don't worry about your old uniform, ma'am" the butler said "I'll take care of it for you."

Lacus looked directly at Walter's face. She had never asked him but guessing his age, she assumed that he must be into his early seventies… or at least mid-to-late sixties. Despite this, his face had served him well and showed little of his age. His skin hadn't wrinkled like a rubber mask over the decades like so many others. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just what I said, I'll dispose of it for you."

"Don't throw it out."

"I wouldn't dream of doing something so wasteful, I know how you would feel about such a thing. I have… a friend who is in the business of collecting uniforms."

"Uniforms…? Does he have a shop or something?"

"Yes, it is a second hand shop dealing exclusively in clothing such as school uniforms, other uniforms, business suits and other such apparel."

"Oh, so he's a business acquaintance, how much would he charge for such a garment?"

"He doesn't charge too much, I suppose for clothing in excellent condition he would charge a total of four thousand."

Lacus tried to suppress the surprise "four… that much?"

"Yes" Walter said, a grin appearing on his lips. "Four thousand is not too much to ask is it? It is just over half of what would normally be charged when buying it brand new and considering how well it has been kept, it really _is_ a bargain, don't you agree?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so, now that I think about it."

"You see, don't worry, I will pay you for them."

"No, don't worry about that, consider it as a donation."

Walter smiled again. He _knew_ she would say that. He had spent so much time with this girl that he could even predict her movements. In all honest reality, he was the only adult she could really depend on. He couldn't read her mind but he assumed that she considered him as a friend. Seriously, he really _was_ the closest thing she had to a parental figure. At this point, he may as well have been her father. He was her butler, chauffer and parent all rolled into one. "I'll go back to your room and get your old uniform."

"Okay."

"I think I'll put it in the back of the car and then I'll come back and make the two of you something to eat."

"Thank you" Lacus nodded.

Walter then stopped walking, allowing the pinkette to walk on ahead before he turned around and walked back to the girl's bedroom.

Lacus approached Squall's room but felt unsure of whether she should go in or not.

"_You know, you don't ever have to knock. This is your house, not mine."_

It _was_ true after all, it was _her_ house. _Squall_ was the guest. She opened the door and saw a round lump under the blankets as though someone had fallen asleep in the foetal position the way a young child would curl up in order to retain body heat and keep out the cold. She wasn't expecting him to have fallen asleep like that. It certainly didn't make him _look_ very masculine. She looked at the clock on the bedside table and saw that the time was six twenty five. "_He'll probably hate me for waking him so early today"_ she thought glumly_._

What Lacus hadn't realized however was that Squall had long since been used to waking up early, it was a force of habit. He had forced himself into an exhausting schedule, the comment that Lacus had made the night before in jest was correct. Squall _had_ been Caraway's maid.

Lacus approached her sleeping houseguest carefully and quietly, hugging the uniform to her chest. As she looked down on him she noticed that he seemed so peaceful. She felt bad for being the one to wake him from such tranquillity.

She loosened her embrace on Squall's new uniform, allowing it to fall onto the bed while she called his name. "Squall, Squall!" She tapped his collarbone with the index and middle fingers of her other hand, remembering something from the health class she had taken the previous year.

Giving up on that, she tried gently shaking the boy awake. "Squall, wake up."

_Squall lay asleep, the girl beside him trying to wake him up. "Squall, wake up" she said "come on, get up you lazy git!" She violently shook him awake and threw him out of his bed._

_This shock was enough to wake the boy who suddenly became aware of the shrill sound of an alarm clock. "Rinoa?" he said._

"_You're pathetic, Squall. Do you have any idea how long your alarm has been going off? It's woken up the whole damn house!"_

"_So-sorry" Squall replied, still in a daze._

"_Don't give me that shit!" Rinoa replied aggressively. Most of her friends were athletes and as such, even though she was a girl, Rinoa's body was immeasurably superior in terms of strength and durability in comparison with Squall's. "Get up" she ordered. "Don't just sit there, bitch. Get the fuck up and turn off that alarm!"_

"Squall, wake up!"

Squall's facial expression had been changing from relaxed to stressed over the course of the last minute until he at last opened his eyes. They flick open for a second before closing again. His body stirred and he let out a sigh of exhaustion.

"Are… are you awake?" Lacus asked, still uncertain.

"So-sorry" Squall mumbled sleepily.

"What?" Lacus asked confusedly. Why was _he_ apologising?"

"I'm sorry I… I didn't hear the alarm."

"Your alarm hasn't gone off yet."

Squall's eyes snapped open and he looked around frantically as though lost. "Rinoa?" he asked.

"Squall?" Lacus replied.

Squall looked up at her with anxious eyes, they locked on to hers and he seemed to calm down, as if only just realizing where he was. "Did I wake you?" he asked.

Lacus shook her head, smiling. "You've got it backwards. _I'm_ the one who woke _you _up."

"Then… what time is it?"

"It's half past six. I'm sorry for waking you up so early but there's been a change of plan. There's also someone whom I'd like you to meet."

Squall nodded and sat up.

"I've brought you your uniform" she said, pointing it out. She turned around and walked toward the door. She stopped just before she was at the doorway. "I'll be in the kitchen. Do you remember where that is?"

"Yes."

"You sure? Don't get lost."

"I won't"

"Good."

With that being said, the girl left the room, allowing the door to swing closed behind her, leaving Squall alone. The brunette quickly dressed in his new uniform, realizing that he had nothing to go underneath. He swiftly pulled the formal black trousers and white shirt on over the nightclothes he was already wearing.

He hurriedly exited his room and walked as fast as he could without breaking into a run to the other side of the house where Lacus was waiting for him. He crossed through the brown historical museum hallway until he reached the halfway point in the house where the four halls joined in the shape of a cross.

He turned and found himself in the Antarctic whiteout once again, the second time in two days. In the distance by the far wall he saw Lacus with another person, a much older person.

Squall slowed his pace dramatically as he walked across the room. Lacus watched him as he came steadily closer. "Squall, this is Walter" she said, introducing the two males to one other.

"There's a small thing" Squall said to the pink haired girl.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's a small problem. You know the clothes I had yesterday?"

"Yeah, what about them?" the girl asked.

"Do you know where they are?"

"They're sitting, waiting to get washed."

"Oh… what about the underwear?" asked Squall a little awkwardly.

"Underwear, what about…?" Lacus said before realising Squall's point. "Oh, I see, _that's_ what you mean." Squall had literally _nothing_ to wear except for that shirt and pair of pants. "Well… don't worry about it. We'll sort it out this afternoon when we go to Northend.

Squall nodded. He looked to the tall man and saw him looming down over him, an amused smile covering his face like a mask. _What is it, why is he looking at me like that?_ Squall wondered.

"We have some time before we have to get going, how about something to eat?" Walter offered. Squall noticed something about the way the man talked. His accent was different from other adults in Dnaletsaw. He sounded almost as if he came from nobility, as if he were from a bloodline high up in the British Empire.

"Alright, thank you" Lacus replied happily.

"So then, what would the two of you like to eat?" Walter asked pleasantly.

"Squall?" asked Lacus "What would you like?"

"Ah, I… I don't mind" he replied.

Lacus looked back to Walter with a blank expression on her face. "Perhaps just some tea?" she suggested. "Squall, would you like that?"

"Actually, I'm not a real fan of hot drinks" he replied honestly. He'd had so many past experiences of being scalded that he had taken a serious preference to luke-warm food and drinks although he outright preferred simple cold things such as sandwiches most of all. They were quick, simple, easy to make and enjoyable if prepared with the correct combination of ingredients.

"What about when you were with the Caraway's?"

"When I was with them, they liked to have things such as bacon for breakfast."

"What, _everyday_?" Ham, bacon and especially pork were exquisite items of luxury, usually reserved for guests. Not something to be eaten in excess.

Squall nodded "Pretty much. Although I was happy to settle for a glass of vegetable or fruit juice, sometimes I ate what was left over."

"You ate their scraps?" Lacus asked, seemingly appalled that they could treat someone that way, let alone a fellow human that was for all intents and purposes part of the family.

Squall let out a snort from his nose, the way someone would when trying to find bitter amusement in the tragic events of their past. "I ate whatever the dog refused to."

"What?!!"

"They pretty much allowed me my choice of table scraps and whatever they deemed unsuitable for their precious pet dog to devour, lest poor Poochie get a stomach-ache. That would be a tragedy" he said in a tone thick with resentment.

"They treated you like an animal?"

"Please…" Squall muttered bitterly. "I wish. Even their family pet had begun to look down on my existence with disgust. Every time he looked at me, I felt like he was saying a big fat…" Squall trailed off, not saying anymore, although Lacus gave her head the slightest of nods, revealing that she understood what Squall was about to say.

"What's he like?" Walter asked "Mister Caraway himself, what is he like?"

"If you were listening, you can probably guess what kind of person he is. He allows his daughter to do whatever she likes and he allowed her to use _me…_ in any way she pleased."

"What do you mean by that?" Lacus asked suspiciously, she was beginning to loath the Caraway's more and more.

"I was like a _slave_ to that accursed family" Squall spat, pure hate and bitterness flooding from each vocal chord and spilling from his every word like concentrated venom. "I was her personal slave. I was her…"

"Stop!" Lacus pleaded "I've heard enough."

"But the man himself?" asked Walter, ignoring Lacus' interjection.

"I just told you, didn't I? Politicians are often corrupted by their own power. Similarly to this, Caraway's body has grown slightly overweight and out of shape. I suppose it's not that unexpected, especially considering the life of comfort he now leads."

"You know, widening waistbands and overindulgence" Walter commented "are seen in third-world nations as a sign of excessive wealth."

"Yeah, the Caraways have wealth alright" Squall agreed "I only wish they had the sophistication that is supposed to come with it." A silence followed his bitter words.

"Walter?" Lacus asked quietly. "Do you think we could get going now?"

"Of course ma'am" the butler replied in a gentlemanly way. "We shall leave immediately. Please do lead young master… I'm sorry, what was your surname?" Squall didn't notice, but the man's eyelids narrowed. He had a haunting suspicion that he knew the identity of this young man.

Squall saw that Lacus was looking at him with curious eyes. _That's right, I haven't told them that yet._ "It's Leonheart."

"Ah, master Leonheart, thank you. Please go and wait in my car, I will be there momentarily."

Squall noticed that Lacus had started moving as soon as Walter had finished speaking. The lanky brunette followed her as she casually walked outside and onto the road where there was awaiting them an extravagant looking automobile – a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III – the same car that Caraway drove. Brown it was and well maintained. The expertise of the paintjob, rather than appearing dull and worn instead seemed to sparkle in the early morning sun as though it had been washed, buffed and waxed that very same day.

Lacus walked right up to the car and opened the back door of the side nearest them and climbed in, moving over to the far side. She looked over to squall, silently and without gesture telling him to join her.

Squall climbed into the car just as Lacus had done and pulled the door closed with just enough force to make it properly shut but not so much that it caused excessive noise. The two sat in silence, waiting for Walter to appear for what must have been ten minutes before Squall noticed the girl beside him shifting in her seat. He turned to see her pull down the safety belt on her side of the seat. Squall looked out the window, saw that Walter was heading in their direction and did the same, he too pulling down his safety belt, clicking it into place and pulling it taught until it both gave him the feeling of security and restricted his movement slightly. It restricted him, bound him in place. It was so tight it almost hurt. It was a feeling he needed.

Within seconds the driver's seat door opened and Walter sat in his seat, closed the door and started up the car's engine. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes" Lacus answered.

"Okay" Walter replied. He put the car into first gear and began accelerating it towards its destination. Squall kept his eyes on the passing scenery for the entire trip as he attempted to memorise the way in case he had to walk there or back at some point.

They eventually arrived outside the school and Squall heard a click as Lacus' safety belt was released. Squall released his own belt and was about to open the door on his side when he heard Walter speak.

"I apologise for making the two of you come here so early today but I have much to do so it couldn't be helped, I'm sorry to say."

"Don't worry about it" Lacus replied "We don't mind, right Squall?"

"No" Squall replied honestly "I'm used to getting up early."

"Very well then" Walter replied "I'll be waiting here for you both when the day is over."

"Right" Lacus said, pausing slightly before she made her next request. "After we come out of there, do you think it would be alright if you took us to Northend?"

"Yes, that will be fine. I'll be here when you get out, alright?"

"Yes, thank you." Lacus opened her side door and stepped outside, allowing the cool morning breeze brush against her face.

Squall stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him and began walking into the school grounds. Lacus joined him, walking at an increased pace until they were walking side by side.

Walter noticed how closely each walked next to the other although he doubted whether Lacus realised this. That girl could be so naive sometimes. A smirk made its way onto Walter's face. "Miss Lacus, you are _far_ too trusting, why do you let such strange men into your life, why do you allow them to get so close to you, don't you even realise?"

He pulled a small square metallic object from the vehicle's glove compartment and raised it to his face. He activated a switch and an LED on the thing lit up. A small LCD screen lit up, revealing a window of the scene directly in front of it.

It was a digital camera, a very expensive, high-end camera, the kind that would be marketed at a photographer with a passion for his work, a passion for capturing the perfect landscape or scene.

This may not have been the best purpose for the camera since Walter had no interest whatsoever in taking photographs of Dnaletsaw's grey skies nor its endless seas of asphalt.

He had another subject in mind, something a little closer and a little younger than the city sights. Walter kept the two teenagers in view of the camera and clicked the shutter. He took a few more snapshots as the two walked further away from him. He switched the camera over to its live video capture mode and pressed record.

He kept them in the frame until they were out of sight. Once he could no longer see them he shut off the camera, put it in the passenger's seat and drove the car away from its current position.

Walter sped the car around the perimeter of the school grounds and up a nearby hill. He drove up the dirt road trail, not bothering to slow down. He had driven up and down this trail so much that he had memorised each millimetre. The road was only wide enough for one vehicle and a wall of trees lined either side.

The road was more or less strait all the way up to the top. There were curves here and there but no sharp corners. The top of the trail was signified by a double S-bend turn, leading into a short strait as the road surface levelled out until it was perfectly flat.

Walter slowed the car to a halt right by the edge. If the car moved forward much more, it would roll right down the hill. Looking out at the scenery before him, Walter could see the entire school grounds. He turned off the engine and pulled out his phone, calling the first number on his contacts list.

"I'm at the school" he said into the phone after the recipient of the phone call finally answered. "Yes, I've just dropped her off… I have her old uniform for you, do you want it?"

Walter waited for the man to answer and grinned at the expected response. "Alright, I'll bring it to you later today… by the way; there may be a slight hitch… She has met someone."

"Does the name _Squall_ mean anything to you?"

* * *

Squall walked at his regular pace which was a little faster than most people's although Lacus seemed to be having no trouble whatsoever in keeping up with him. In fact, she was walking right beside him, lined up with him perfectly, walking in exact timing like a bugle player in a parade.

They passed through the school entrance. There were trees and bushes lining the perimeter of the car park, adding a trim of green to the dull greyness of the cement pavement and gravel road below their feet.

In front of them the brick buildings came closer with every step they took. The school grounds swallowed them and welcomed them into the den of failed education. Dnaletsaw Central High School was a place that the youth of the city came to out of habit, for something to do, because that is where their friends were. There were many reasons along these lines but one reason was never touched upon – educational value.

Life after school was the real world. Life was rough and corrupt, if one had excessive amounts of money however, life got dramatically easier and far more bearable. It all depended on the individual and their company. If they knew the right people then it was simple.

Therefore, prestigious degrees and scholarships were completely worthless since many companies hired only within the extended family and their network of friends. Of course nobody ever accepted these facts as the truths that they were, opting to instead remain blind to the evidence presented before them and cling blindly to their faith and fantasy of a fair and just world for all.

There were no holy crusaders in such a world. Everyone looked out for only themselves, smiling as they scammed gullible child and blind elderly widow alike if only to line their pockets with a few small silver coins.

Even Squall did not believe that he would benefit from this school. He was merely here because he had nothing better to do. If not going to school, he'd just have to get a job and go to work, and he was convinced of the sad outcome of _that_. Who in their right mind would even consider hiring someone as useless as him?

"Squall, what is it?" Lacus asked, concerned.

"What?" Squall asked, coming out of a daze "oh, nothing. It's nothing."

"You have a look on your face. You look as though something is troubling you."

"No" Squall replied, trying his hardest to sound convincing.

"If it's about waking you up so early this morning then I'm sorry."

"No" Squall replied shaking his head "I already told you that wasn't a problem. I used to get up at six AM every day when I was staying at Caraway Mansion."

"Then what is it?"

"I already told you, it's… I'll see you later."

"What?" Lacus tried to ask but Squall was already walking away from her. She was about to go after him when she heard someone call her name. "Oh, Athrun, hi" she said upon seeing the group of people standing in the near distance.

"What's happened?" Athrun asked her.

Lacus walked up to the group consisting of Athrun and his two friends – the ones that had been at the lake. "Nothing really, it's just… Squall."

"_That_ looser" Yzak snorted "you should've just left him in the gutter, I know _I_ would have. Take my advice, just forget about him."

As the three friends were discussing the issue about Squall behind his back the brunette in question was walking away from them, trying to find somewhere, trying to find a little hole that he could call his own private space.

Squall had tried many places during his last year in this school. He'd even considered the library for some nice, quiet sanctuary from the harpy queen but soon gave _that_ idea up upon realising that it was always full of rowdy freshman-year students playing childish games and talking in voices containing far too much volume and far too little vocabulary.

This year would be Squall's third year, also known as the junior year. This meant nothing to Squall. He was sixteen. He'd be turning seventeen later that month. He had no life, no future and a past he wished he could forget. His school-life was nothing more than a farce. It was merely an excuse to hang on to his last few tiny shreds of juvenility and Squall would milk them for as long as he could, until dust squirted from the teat of his youth.

As long as he didn't have to think about the terrors of the uncertain future cloaked in a dark veil, Squall could endure any of the horrific bombshells that Rinoa, her friends and her conceited prick of a father could toss in his path.

"Squall, Wait!" a voice called out. The boy turned his head to the right and saw two more familiar faces getting closer, Kira and Cagalli. Squall stopped walking as he allowed them to approach him.

"Weren't you supposed to be with Lacus?" Kira asked "Where is she?"

"I was… but I decided to leave her alone. She's with her friends now."

"Friends?" replied Cagalli.

"Athrun and those other two" Squall answered.

"Other two?" asked Cagalli.

"The blonde guys, they were at the lake. I don't know their names."

"He must mean Dearka and Yzak" Kira commented.

"Why aren't _you_ with them?" asked Cagalli.

"Because" Squall replied softly "_those_ three are her friends, not me. They don't want someone like me tagging along."

"Did they say that to you?" Kira asked.

"No" Squall replied "but they didn't have to. I could sense it. I could feel it. I'm the kind of person who knows when they're not wanted and you people don't owe me any favours. If anything, I owe you but please don't patronise me with false pretences and promises of fake friendships." Squall could feel the bitterness rising within him and he could hear it in his words. He let out a surrendering sigh before continuing. "I don't need that right now, if you want me thrown out, then have me thrown out. Just please don't pretend that you _actually_ like me."

"That is not up to us now, is it?" Kira replied calmly. "It is up to Lacus, she's the one keeping you so only _she_ can decide when you must leave… but I don't think she'd do that even if she wanted to. She's too kind-natured for that." He gave a friendly smile. "So for now at least, you can consider her home as your home and her friends as your friends. If you want confirmation, then take this… If you want true friendship from me, then you have it."

"Me too" Cagalli replied solemnly.

Squall's eyelids widened. "Really?" he asked, his voice dripping in disbelief. He had taken to not believing the sweet lies of others for fear of winding up hurt and humiliated. It was a defence mechanism he had developed. Why were these two offering to be his friends, was it all part of some practical joke? If so, then their cruelty could be on par with that of Rinoa and their deception even greater for Squall could sense no hint of amusement or sarcasm. "But why?" he asked.

"Why, what do you mean why?" Cagalli asked him.

"Why do you want me as a friend, I mean why are you even talking to me?"

"Because we want to" Kira answered simply.

Squall look at him suspiciously. He been the target of Rinoa's fun for so long, he didn't believe that anybody could just be genuinely fond of him for no other reason than that they wanted him as a friend. He decided to play along… at least for now. At least that would give him something to do. Any ill-intention that these people could be planning would surely make itself known in due time.

Squall noticed that a large group of people had gathered outside the school hall and decided to walk in their direction. Cagalli noticed him walking in that direction and walked beside him while Kira walked beside her. "Are you going over there?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah" Squall nodded.

"We've still got some time before we have to assemble. Are you _sure _you want to line up out there right away?"

Squall nodded "There's not really anything else I _can_ do" he replied. He was still unsure of what his social status was in relation to Rinoa. What had she told everyone about him? Whatever it was, it would likely be a negative thing for him to be recognised.

The last thing Squall wanted was to be seen by one of Rinoa's friends, especially if he were on his own. If they found themselves alone with him in a secluded area without witnesses, who knows what torture they could but him through, both physically _and_ emotionally.

It wasn't as though Rinoa's premium brand of emotional blackmail was a _new _product on the market for Squall to try and it _certainly _wasn't on a limited edition trial basis but now that he was a true enemy rather than a simple scapegoat, his life was bound to get worse and worse as though spiralling downhill as it was flushed down the porcelain toilet bowl with the rest of Rinoa's unwanted bodily excretions.

It was for that reason and that reason only Squall was interested in assembling with the rest of his year level. School hadn't even officially started for the year and Squall wasn't interested in making unnecessary enemies just yet.

If he stayed in a large crowd then maybe they wouldn't be able to do anything too bad, at least that would give him some time with his body and mind still intact and uninjured. He hadn't a clue what they might do to him… what if they somehow managed to turn the entire school against him, would that be possible, would it really be that hard? It wasn't like he had a lot of friends… in fact not one person had really ever seemed to take a serious liking to him even once in his life. Not even his lust-filled selfish bastard of a father who more-or-less sold his only son to the Caraway's as a slave as a way of compensation and half-baked apology for his despicable act of betrayal toward the family.

The three stood in the midst of a hefty mob. The bulky mass of students talked loudly amongst themselves, apparently not noticing the newcomers. Squall preferred it that way. If they didn't see him, they couldn't recognise him and if they didn't notice him, they couldn't do anything _to_ him. It made everything that much more tolerable. Some people – Rinoa included – liked to whine and bitch about not being noticed; not being the centre of attention like that was some great honour. The lanky brunette did _not_ happen to see it that way. To slip past unseen and to go unnoticed was a _good_ thing.

Squall could recall a memory from his childhood.

"_Strength, that'd be so cool!" a young child on the school playground exclaimed._

"_No, speed, I want super speed so I could run all the way around the world" argued another._

"_That's lame, I wanna fly!" said a third, this one a young girl with brown hair that curled up from her shoulders._

"_So why get stuck with just one?" a blond child asked; his apparent greed and gluttony shining through his critical words._

"_That's not how it works, idiot!" screamed Rinoa._

_Rinoa _– Squall pondered – _even back then, she was always so…_

"_So what about you then?" the blond asked Rinoa._

"_Hmm" she said thoughtfully. Then a big smile appeared on her face. "I know!" she exclaimed excitedly "I know, I know! I'd want… mind control" she finally answered slyly, a malevolent smirk on her mischievous mask._

"_Hey, what about you?" someone asked the young Squall, the boy whom sat at Rinoa's feet like an obedient dog reading a junior novel._

_Squall looked up from the book. "Why ask him?" Rinoa asked harshly. As far as she and her father were concerned, Squall's opinion mattered not. "He probably doesn't have one anyway."_

"_Yeah, he'd just wish for something stupid anyway" the blond boy taunted._

"_Like a better personality" Rinoa added darkly "but then again, we all wish that for him" she said, talking about Squall and insulting him as though he were not even there, as though he didn't even matter._

Back then when they had been children… Squall had been listening in on them – not intentionally; he couldn't help overhearing – as they talked about what super power they would want if given the choice of one and only one. Those friends always discussed such things and Squall was rarely invited to join in on the conversation. He was only there because it was required of him to be near Rinoa at all times. It was just something that Squall grew accustomed to. He put up with all of Rinoa's petty insults and outlandish commands which seemed to get more bizarre, perverted and humiliating, the older she got.

If given the choice of any comic book superpower, Squall's one and only choice would be invisibility.

"Squall" Cagalli said, quietly and gently yanking Squall away from the dark, pessimistic musings and reminiscence from deep within his mind "you seem to be attracting a lot of attention."

"_What?"_ Squall looked around and saw that many people were looking in his direction. "_Why?" _He thought they had not yet noticed him. He thought that he could just blend into the background like he used to whenever Rinoa wasn't using him for some appearance out in the local public eye or doing something to publicly humiliate him in front of her friends and all the students of Dnaletsaw Central High.

"Why is everybody looking this way?" the girl asked.

Her point was true enough, why _were_ they all looking in that direction? Was it because of him? Squall pondered the thought inside his mind but couldn't come up with a conclusion.

Could it be, that word of what had occurred between Rinoa and himself had already spread this far? Did Rinoa have that big a social network? Squall shuddered at the thought of what the future held in store for him but the boy's thoughts were cut short for a second time, this time by one of the teachers as she came out of the school hall to greet them all. She was a short, plump, round woman with frizzy shoulder length ginger curls. She wore a tight brown skirt that showed off her middle-body's lard like a paper muffin cup as though proud of it. She also wore matching brown stockings and a semi-formal top that couldn't restrain her oversized cleavage. Looking at her, Squall couldn't help but be reminded of an oversized cupcake.

The woman turned her head one way and then the other as she looked at the large mass of students assembled in front of her, eyeing them all up critically. They were the usual students that passed through each year in this year level. The same students in their second year last year now stood in front of her, waiting to start their third year.

The students stood not in prearranged ranks like they would in some prestigious military school, rather they had organised themselves into several groups, one for each clique and at the heart of each clique was the spoiled child of a millionaire, a child of their great capitalist nation.

She looked left and right and saw gatherings of friends loyal to their respective heirs and heiresses. She continued examining them with a critical eye as she attempted to spot all the cliques of children from powerful families.

_Zala, Allster, Caraway… _her eyes narrowed when they came to rest on Rinoa. _That's funny, where in the world is that boy Squall?_ Squall and Rinoa did literally _everything_ together. She never let that boy out of her sight. It was no wonder why there was a common assumption that the two were involved in some kind of relationship beyond simple friends, lodgers or siblings. It was common knowledge… or maybe gossip lore. There was something distinctly _fishy_ going on between those two.

_I wonder where he is, did something happen bet−_

Her eyes drifted across the mess of students and instantly widened in pure surprise, her thoughts utterly severed by a rusted cleaver called shock. Squall was standing with Cagalli Yula and Kira Yamato, clear members of the Zala clique. _What the heck…why is he with them?_ Zala and Caraway were bitter business rivals; practically mortal enemies.

Once accepted into a group, a student at the school _never_ switched to another. Such betrayal was unheard of. Students never left one to go to another, there was not one among them bold enough to stand alone either and there likely never would be. The clique social system was a cruel, harsh one for students. No one knew when it erected itself, it was more like it had simply always been there… and it always would, passing from generation to generation. The end of school would not end ones membership of a clique, either. Each group was more or less a class and that label would stick with them as they started their respective careers.

Nobody ever denied this system, no one betrayed one group to be alone and no one betrayed one group to join another, especially one that was so substantially opposed to the first.

What was going on here? Did Squall Leonheart just so happen to be _that_ strong? Did he have that strength of character needed to oppose such a social matrix? No, Squall was weak, a pathetic excuse for a human. Squall was the pus inside the wart on the backside of humanity. What would cause him to do such a thing? Something was wrong, _seriously_ wrong.

Whatever the case, she didn't have time to think about it now. They were running on a schedule after all. She raised her hands and waved their attention. With that failing, she resorted to more extreme measures. "Excuse me!" she yelled out at the top of her voice.

_That_ got their attention. The students were now all looking right at her. "Good" she commented her voice now at a more natural speaking tone although still loud enough for all to hear. "Now that I have your attention, I'd like all of you to assemble and sit down in the hall. Please walk in an orderly fashion and fill the rows of seats starting from the front and going backward. I don't want _anyone_ to be needlessly sitting far in the back rows. When nobody moved her eyes narrowed and her voice took on an impatient tone as she added "now!"

At that moment, the large gathering of people broke their already disorderly ranks. Their grouped arrangements deformed and mutated as the bodies that made up the mass shapes walked forward to be swallowed up by the large square structure. Squall walked forward, following the undisciplined horde as the lot of them slowly made their way to the Hall's cerulean carpeted interior.

When he got inside, he noticed that an abundant number of students had sat as far towards the back as they could, some even sitting with their backs to the wall despite the teacher's instruction. Squall inwardly commented on the stupidity and futility of their arrogant acts of vain independence. Little did he know that on either side of him, Kira and Cagalli both happened to be internally thinking along exactly the same lines. He honestly had no idea that he was in such good likeminded company.

Kira and Cagalli sat in adjacent chairs in the front section of the hall on the left side near the stage at the front. Squall sat next to them, albeit leaving one seat between him and the other two.

Cagalli noticed this and narrowed her eyes slightly as she tried to find a reason why Squall would separate himself from them like that. He wasn't upset or angry with them and it wasn't like they smelt funny or anything. What the hell? She reached over to get Squall's attention when Kira nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. She turned in her seat to question why he did that. "What?" she mouthed while rubbing her side.

Kira shook his head slowly. "Just leave him" he cautioned her quietly.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes defensively. _Why? I just want to know why._ She turned back to Squall and saw that he was looking right at her. Their eyes met for an instant but as soon as Squall realised it, his head subconsciously snapped away to face another direction so fast that it caused his hair to swish after him.

"Squall?" the blonde asked, requesting his attention and attracting another light warning elbow jolt from the boy sitting on the other side of her. Squall slowly turned his head to face her again. "What's wrong with _this_ seat?" she asked him. Squall narrowed his eyes slightly, puzzled. "Why are you all the way over there? Sit here _with_ us… I mean, you know you _can_, right?" Squall paused for a long while. His eyes seemed to glaze over… then finally he gave a short quick nod. He then turned his head back toward the stage, after a few minutes he silently slided over a seat to sit beside the other two. _That's funny_ Cagalli commented inwardly, a slight smile evident on her smooth features. _Was he waiting for an invitation?_ Then she remembered. _Oh, that's right. He was with… that must be the way he was raised._ She gave the thought a brief nod before dismissing it and banishing it from her mind.

There was no more time for thought as the deputy principle stood at the podium on the stage, the fluorescent lights reflecting slightly on the tall man's bald head, making it appear shinier than it really was. "School stand for the Headmaster" he said into the microphone, the Hall's speaker system amplifying his voice and delivering it to the ears of each student.

The each student in the Hall rose to their feet as a tall man with, thick brown hair walked up through the isle between the seats to the stage at the front of the hall. There was a mobile set of stairs on wheels connected to the stage. The Headmaster jogged up these steps, approached the podium and looked down on the students. "School sit" he said softly into the microphone. The Deputy Principal walked to the back of the stage and sat down in one of the empty chairs beside the rest of the staff.

The principal let a smile display on his face. "Well…" he said. "Well, well, well. I see many young faces smiling up at me." Squall assumed this to be a prewritten, recycled speech since very few students would be smiling that he could imagine. "I see many faces that I recognise. I see few that I don't. For any of you here that may be new, I… am Principal Cid Kramer but I'd much prefer the name 'Headmaster Cid.' There have been few changes to staff… which is very strange. There is only one to speak of. No doubt you've heard the rumours that have been circulating since late last year… they are true. Our school nurse and I _have_ gotten married during the summer break and her name has been changed accordingly. From now on, all students are to address her as Matron Kramer." There was a big bout of silence before the headmaster spoke again. "You have limited time here people, enjoy it. You are no longer freshman students, although most of you may not technically be seniors either. For many of you, this may be you last year with us. Some of you may leave us to find work. Some of you may go off to university." The man's tone dropped for the next sentence. "Some of you may stay until the end of your years here… but that is fine too. I will now leave you in the hands of your teachers… School stand."

Every student rose to their feet once more as the Headmaster walked out of the building, basking in their silent respect as though he were royalty. The Deputy Principal rose from his seat and produced a plastic folder from under his chair. He approached the podium and opened up the folder. "School sit."

The students sat down.

"When I say your name" instructed the Deputy Headmaster "Please stand and come forward. Line up by the stage." With that, the man flipped through the clear cellophane covered pages in the folder until he found the one he required.

He began reading from his list of names.

"Aiman, Miguel.

Amalfie, Nicol.

Elsman, Dearka.

Fujiwara, Takumi.

Hawke, Lunamaria.

Hawke, Meyrin.

Joule, Yzak.

Mackenzie, Rusty.

Mogi, Natsuki.

Takeuchi, Itsuki.

Yula, Cagalli.

Zala, Athrun."

Those whose names had been called out stood and shuffled out of their rows to line up at the front of the hall, Cagalli among them. Kira turned to squall. "Don't you think that's kind of funny?" he asked with a snort "most, if not all of Athrun's friends are together in one class except us." Squall nodded in agreement.

"You're teacher will be Mister La Flaga" the Deputy Principal informed them. Their teacher – a well-built man with sharp blue eyes and short blonde hair stepped down from the stage and led them out of the hall. "This next class will be taken by our new workshop teacher, Mister Taylor, our only new staff member." He turned to the man and asked "do you want to say something?"

The new teacher nodded and stepped up to the front of the stage. "Hi there" he said into the microphone, to which the students remained still and soundless. "Come one now, don't just sit there. Are you alive?" he joked. "Hi, I'm Mister Taylor and I just moved here from the United States, where I used to host my own cable DIY show but now I'm here to teach _you_ guys."

Again, the students sat still and said nothing. "Oh, come on, you're all young. Have some fun, make some noise, move around a little!" with that, he gave a series of short grunts into the microphone as though he were some kind of motivational speaker trying to galvanize the bored masses into excitement.

Several students began laughing at this while many more simply turned to their neighbors to exchange sideways glances. Squall heard Kira exhale amusedly at the new entertaining, energetic teacher but his eyes narrowed as he heard a familiarly arrogant voice. "God" it scorned "what a looser."

"Very well" the Deputy Principal said, once more reading from his file. "When I read your names, step forward."

"Allster, Flay.

Almasy, Seifer.

Argyle, Sai.

Buskirk, Kuzzey.

Dincht, Zell.

Haw, Miriallia,

Heartily, Rinoa.

Kinneas, Irvine.

Koenig, Tolle.

Tilmitt, Selphie.

Trepe, Quistis."

The student's whose names had been called out stood and walked to the front of the Hall. Out of the corner of his eye, Squall saw Rinoa walk past. His head instinctively turned to face her and he saw her narrowed eyes glaring at him, showing a look of pure malice. His submissive eyes remained locked onto her loathsome ones and hers drilled gaping holes into his until the distance separated them. As soon as they broke contact, Squall felt a shiver ripple down his spine.

After the class had left, the Deputy Principal once again began reading from his folder. "This next class will be led by Miss Ramius."

"Clyne, Lacus…"

Time seemed to slow as Squall phased out.

"Leonheart, Squall."

Squall's eye's widened. He had not been expecting this.

"Yamato, Kira."

Kira gave another amused snort. "I guess that's that then. We've been split into two classes. It could've been a lot worse. At least you're not still stuck with Caraway's shallow daughter and her friends." To this, Squall nodded. He was in full agreement. In fact, he couldn't think of a better way for this to have happened. Things were finally going right for a change. Squall was ecstatic, so much so that he didn't even hear the rest of the list of names after those first three.

* * *

Together the class had followed their teacher as they walked in an unruly manner. Most of the class followed close behind their teacher in one large group, talking amongst themselves. Some talked about their holidays while others spoke only in a hushed whisper about the unwanted class member trailing behind them. Squall knew exactly whom they happened to be talking about and it wasn't like he couldn't hear them just because they were whispering. There were telltale signs that he was the subject of their gossip so of course he could tell. He could_ always_ tell.

A little far back behind the larger collection of students walked another slightly smaller group and behind them, two students who walked side by side in complete silence, saying nothing, each of the two simply enjoying the silent company of the other. These two seemed so much more polite and in a word – sophisticated… or maybe mature would be a better word – than the talkative students in front of them, who's consistent chattering seemed to merge together like so many different noises in a popular arcade or mall to create one loud indistinguishable racket.

Behind these two walked the unwanted. This student followed blindly at precisely the same speed as those whom walked in front of him, neither gaining nor loosing any of the distance between he and the others in before him. Squall walked directly behind Lacus and looked strait ahead as he did so. He took in none of his surroundings from any of his senses. He saw nothing around him and likewise he heard, smelt and felt naught.

His body ran on autopilot.

Their teacher led her class past many buildings until they finally reached a glass door. She held the door open for each and every student, telling them to wait for her at the very top. Once through the door, Squall found himself in a small sheltered stairwell. The air felt very thin within the vicinity of that place, making it quite difficult to breathe. They began climbing up the stairs at quite a slow pace. Squall was used to running up and down stairs to run fruitless errands for the Caraway's jaded amusement so could have made it up to the top of the stairs much faster if he were on his own but instead, he was following the rest of the class.

Squall noticed that there was a significant gap between Kira and Lacus; and the rest of the class. He considered running past them but decided against it, even though unlike the rest of the class – those two both walked in a single file line and kept to the right-most part of the stairs, leaving over half of the space free for anyone whom may wish to pass them. He noticed something about the way they happened to be walking – Lacus in particular. She seemed as though she was not used to walking up stairs. Squall believed this to be an acceptable assumption. Not only was Lacus' house single story but she also had her own personal chauffer to drive her anywhere she may need to go.

After four flights of stairs, they finally reached the top hallway and walked through another glass door. Now at least they had a chance to rest but unfortunately the air up here was even thinner. Squall looked over to Lacus and almost felt bad for her. She was breathing slightly more heavily than usual as though out of breath like one whom is out of shape after finishing a 'fun run.' The pink haired girl allowed herself to fall backward with her back resting against the wall. "Are you alright?" Kira asked her, mild concern evident.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I've never had a class up here."

"Me either" Kira replied.

Just then, their teacher appeared, walked past all of them with a set of keys and unlocked the door in the centre of the hall, opposite the stairwell. She walked into the room, followed by her class, all of which filed in slowly and found their seats.

Squall managed to find a seat in the back corner, isolated from the rest of the class. He looked around to observe where the other students were sitting and saw that most of them happened to be sitting with their friends. There was one large group on the left and another on the right. There were also a few small groups of students consisting of about two or three. Squall looked across to the left side of the square 'U' shaped seating arrangement that lined the edges of the classroom. Lacus and Kira were sitting together about halfway up the left row of seats. No one else sat with them, just them, on their own. Their teacher looked at her students, studying them like a vulture studies hapless fools roaming the desert. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they came to rest on Squall. The brunette noticed this and it likely would have given him loathsome feelings deep in the pit of his stomach had he not been so used to it. In contrast, for adults to look at him this way, it was nothing new. This was the standard reaction. "Everybody raise your hand when I call out your name. I'm going to hand out all your timetables for this year.

One by one, the students received their timetables which were printed on small pieces of white paper, about a sixth of the size of a standard A4 sheet. Squall briefly looked over his timetable before placing it carefully inside the pocket of his uniform. _"Oh, that's right"._ He'd have to be careful not to loose it since he had no wallet or anything similar to keep it in. Squall hoped that the thin paper would be alright and that it wouldn't simply drop or fall from its shallow home. Keeping something loose in one's pants pocket was dangerous. Wallets and cell phones were one thing but thin pieces of paper were another entirely. It was _so_ easy to loose track of things like that.

When Squall looked up, he saw the teacher looking at him but it wasn't just that. She was standing right in front of his desk. She had another piece of paper in her hand. "Are you bored?" Squall shook his head. "I'm sorry but everybody here has opted to talk rather that do anything" she said kindly, placing the sheet of paper and a pen down on the desk. "Give this a go" she instructed before turning around and leaving him with the puzzle.

Squall looked down at the paper and saw that there was a large crossword printed on it. He looked at the first clue and guessed it immediately. Squall knew that he wasn't the smartest person around but these crossword puzzles were _so _simple. Did _she_ think that Squall was a simpleton? Did she really think he was that stupid? _No surprises there. _It was nothing, he was used to it. Squall looked around the classroom, pretending that he wasn't the slightest bit interested in completing this crossword. Every so often he would glance down and read or write something on the paper but if anyone looked in his direction they would simply assume that he was waiting for their time to be up like a bored slacker sitting in detention.

The barely occupied student glanced over to where those other two were sitting – the two that didn't instantly discard him upon first sight. Pink and brown had begun talking although Squall couldn't hear their light conversation over the rest of the rabble so had no idea what they might be talking about. The meaningless class proceeded in this way for quite a while longer until their teacher let them out. "Very well, it's time. You can all go home now but remember… you are junior students and are from now on eligible to wear junior ties and blazers, the former of which are now compulsory and the latter which will become compulsory from the winter months onward. Both these items can be picked up at the 'student admin office.' Also, please remember that all stationary is required for you to start on your first full day, no exceptions."

With all that having been said the students began walking out toward the school entrance, some of them discussing what to do with the small remainder of free time they had left before being chained back into the institution of education. "So what are you gonna do for the rest of the day?" Kira asked the girl sitting beside him while the rest of the students walked past them.

"Oh, well… actually I have to go with Squall to get some things."

"What things?"

"Just school supplies and things like that. He doesn't have _anything_ with him. I don't know if he had anything before but even if he did, the Caraway's took them."

"Oh, that's too bad for him. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

"Okay… what about that thing at Athrun's? Are you going to go to that?"

"I don't know. It's not really my thing. I don't really like big crowds. I think I'll pass."

"Oh, I guess I'll see you again on Wednesday then."

"Yeah, I'll see you then" Lacus agreed, looking over to where Squall was sitting. "Hey, did you see where Squall went?"

"He must've gone out already, he'll probably be waiting by the car for you" Kira said, shrugging as he offered the possible explanation. Lacus thanked him and hastily left the room to find her new lodger. Kira followed her line of exit soon after.

The only one left in the room, the brunette in her late twenties walked toward Squall's desk and looked at the paper she had given him. "_He's a lot smarter than they give him credit for"_ she said in her head. The entire crossword had been completed – and it wasn't the simplest puzzle just clipped out of a magazine either. Squall Leonheart actually _was_ quite a lot smarter than some of her students from last year. Whether his self image would allow him to see this or not was another question altogether, as was the question of whether or not his peers would acknowledge him as an equal or greater intellect.

* * *

Lacus hurried down the four flights of stairs at a pace far quicker than usual – not that the girl was used to going up and down stairs. On the contrary, this year was the first time in her life she had been required to walk up past the first floor. Most of the classroom blocks were singular level buildings with standard classrooms. Blocks A through D were just like this. Tec Block had two stories and Tower block had five – lucky for her. Lacus had never known herself to be so unfit but then again, years of comfort had probably mounted up and taken their toll. Her body didn't _look_ out of shape – it simply lacked muscle causing her to look – in a word – slim._ Perhaps it's a good thing Walter convinced me to take PE after all, _she mused glumly, her mind stuck on the pathetic state of her body.

The pale pinkette drew her attention upward in an attempt to change the subject – even when discussing something internally with herself she reserved the defensive right to a subject change whenever something unbearably personal came up.

The overcast sky loomed far above her, watching over the inhabitants of the city like someone who peers into a cage or tank to ridicule the comparatively simple lives of their pets as they do naught but exist, until the day they are inevitably taken by the metaphorical hands of nature in the small space that they assume to be the boundaries of the world in which they live.

Lacus couldn't recall the last time she had seen a clear sky, if ever. It was strange but the clichéd 'sunny day' in which inexperienced writers habitually initiated their laughably less-than-epic sagas, had never arrived. In fact, should the day come when the skies above Dnaletsaw be blessed with the appearance of the supposed great yellow orb, its citizen's would likely be stricken with panic induced hysteria at the sight of the horrendous Martian invasion fleet's first barrage.

Lacus allowed her upper lip to curl slightly in amusement of her own hyperbole. It _was_ true though, wasn't it? "What's so funny?" Lacus turned to look at him. How long had _he_ been there, how long had she been thinking? The girl had no idea that Kira had caught up to her.

"No… it's nothing funny."

"Then, what?" the brown haired boy asked.

"I was just thinking… when have we had a fine day? Have you seen the sun at all, lately?"

"Yeah" Kira replied "But not in the city."

"Where?" asked the girl curiously.

Kira smiled. "At the lake" he answered.

Lake Noissap must have been at least a two hour drive from the city limits. Maybe that meant the weather would be slightly different… or was there a different reason for Dnaletsaw's constant cloudy cloak? The two students arrived near the office and Kira reminded his female walking companion about the extra uniform requirements. They walked into the student office and lined up behind several people.

They didn't have to wait long for their turn at the counter and soon the auburn haired receptionist was eyeing the both of them with a look of pure impatience. "We need two ties" Kira said.

"Which ones?" the receptionist asked in a bored monotone that implied she'd had this job for a few too many years.

"Junior ones" Kira stated "the blue ones."

Lacus' eyes instantly widened as she remembered something. "Ah… you'd better make that three."

"Oh, and blazers too" Kira added.

"Okay, what size?" asked the receptionist impatiently.

"Um…" Kira began uncertainly. He turned to Lacus. "What size are you?"

"Seven."

"And Squall?"

"The same" Lacus replied.

"Alright that seems to simplify things" Kira said, now turning back to face the counter. "You'd better make that three sevens."

"Fine, here you go" the receptionist said in voice thick with boredom that showed how much she really hated her job around all these superficial teenagers – Lacus felt that she couldn't blame the older woman as the items passed through the three pairs of hands "three ties, three 'seven' blazers." Lacus handed the woman a credit card to pay for the items and typed her four digit pin number into the available keypad.

The two teenagers thanked the woman and promptly left the shop. "You don't think Squall picked up his own uniform?" Kira asked.

"I can't see him doing that, he has no money or anything" Lacus replied "and even if he has his already, I've been led to believe that there is a person who runs some kind of second hand uniform shop. If worse comes to worse we can simply donate one there."

Kira nodded "I suppose you're right."

The two walked at a somewhat casual, strolling pace toward the school grounds' main entrance with uniforms in hand but soon slowed down upon seeing a friendly face.

Athrun walked toward them as they slowly continued to make their way in his direction. Eventually they all stopped walking, all three in close and even proximity to each other. The boy with the blue hair looked first to his oldest and closest friend Kira and then to Lacus. His eyes were drawn to the blazers and ties. "_That's_ what I forgot" he said, pointing at the objects of clothing in their arms. "Did you get one for Squall?" Lacus nodded in response. "So you bought two then?" Athrun replied.

"No, three" Lacus replied, not bothering to mention that he could easily count them for himself.

"You paid for _Kira's_ as well?" the blue haired boy asked, confused.

"Yes" the girl answered, thinking nothing of it.

"But that's…" Athrun began, pausing to work it out "ten thousand plus another two thousand… and then three of those..."

"Thirty six thousand" Lacus said as if automatically, instantly calculating the simple equation in her head.

"Right, so are you two coming over later today?"

"No" Kira answered.

"How about you?" asked the only one between the three of them having not yet purchased the senior uniform. He turned his head slightly to the left, talking directly to Lacus. Before responding, the girl looked at the brunette standing next to her. She shook her head slowly. Athrun narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is something going on?"

"No, I have to go to Northend with Squall."

"Northend?" the bluenette asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't have anything" Lacus explained sympathetically. "No money, no stationary, no phone… not even a change of clothes."

"Oh, I see" Athrun replied. He walked closer toward her and pulled something from his pocket. He outstretched his hand and held it out to her. There was a roll of notes in his hand. Lacus held the blazers under her arm and took the notes. Unrolling them, she saw that there were many of them and they were all in denominations of one hundred thousand.

"Athrun" she managed to say, her voice locked in monotonous shock at the sight. "How… how much money is this?"

Athrun smiled at her reaction. "Why, you have money, don't you? This should be no surprise. After all, you have to put up with him. That's just my contribution. Think of it as your payment. I'm sure it'll at least help cover the cost of whatever you need to buy for him today… of course, if there's anything left over, feel free to keep it. I asked you to take care of him, didn't I? The least I can do is to pay you for it."

Lacus' eyes narrowed of there own accord, showing her distaste of the wealthy boy's attitude. He was beginning to take after his father. Maybe not in appearance but certainly in the way he acted. He was becoming conceited.

Who in there right mind would keep so much money lying around loose in their pocket? Granted, his family _was_ extremely prosperous but regardless, flashing ones wealth in such a way was nothing short of arrogance.

"What's wrong, ichuunoonna?" Athrun asked the pink haired girl. Her eyes widened slightly and her cheeks stained with twin tinges of pink. "Oh, nothing… sorry" Lacus replied "I'll… I'll see you both later." She silently walked past the both of them on her way to the school entrance.

She soon spotted Squall standing by Walter's car. She increased her walking speed a little so she could get there faster. The boy lifted his head and shifted his gaze upon seeing her.

Lacus had since pocketed the money given to her by Athrun – internally commenting on the clichéd roll of monetary notes as she did so – and now held Squall's new uniform in her hand. "Here" she said, holding it out for him "this is yours." The boy took the two items, nodding silently as he did so.

Lacus opened the door to the car, stepped inside and slid over to the other side of the seat, giving Squall room to sit in the car beside her. The brunette sat inside the car, placing his blazer and tie on his lap and closing the door as he did so.

"Well then, are we ready to go; Miss Lacus, Master Squall?"

"Yes" the girl answered."

"To Northend East, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

Instantly – as though programmed like an automated driving machine – and without warning the aging butler chauffer started the engine, reversed the car, switched gear, pulled away from the curb and sped forward. The entire process was done so fast that it made Squall – who had not yet put on his seat belt – bounce around as if he were trapped in a pinball table.

The poor boy hastily planted himself back on his seat and looked to the teenager beside him. Lacus smiled at him as, quietly laughing at his reaction. "Don't worry" she said calmly addressing the issue surfacing in Squall's mind. "You'll soon get used to it."

"Does he always drive like this?"

"Miss Lacus, I managed to sell your old uniform to my… my friend in the clothing store" Walter said, ignoring Squall's question completely as though he were not even there.

"I thought it was a uniform shop."

"Oh yes… yes, it is, it is."

A thought suddenly struck Lacus like a bolt of lightning. "Those haven't been washed since last year" she muttered.

"What was that?" Walter asked "You'll have to speak up."

"I… I don't suppose you remembered to wash them first?"

Walter gave an unseen smirk. "No, I'm afraid not." Lacus hastily looked out the window. "But my friend, he seemed quite happy with it nonetheless, delighted, even."

"De-delighted?" the girl asked.

"Yes, he seemed ecstatic with it as is."

"Oh, well… never mind" Lacus said, trying to put it out of her mind but it wasn't easy. She didn't feel good about something that had been next to her skin being next to someone else's. "I'm sure that whoever ends up with it will wash it before using it out of habit." _That is what people do when buying second hand things, isn't it? Yes, they will wash it first, I'm sure of it._

"_Don't count on It"_ Walter said inwardly, an evil smirk once again on his lips.

The car travelled along the streets of Dnaletsaw just barely following the legal speed limit, occasionally bobbing up or down a few kilometres per hour – but not so many that it would cause alarm to other traffic. The way Lacus sat in the back seat would lead one to assume that this was normal or that this speed was not nearly the fastest that Walter had driven at. If _this_ was the wizened gentleman's casual cruising speed, Squall wondered how fast the car could go should they be in a serious hurry.

They rode through the main road of Northend and branched off to the east, heading along a road that resembled a driveway leading to a massive structure that towered high over the other buildings as a bird of prey might perch up high in stealthy observant study of its unwitting prey.

Although the building in question may have only been a shopping mall, the comparison held true. Squall was someone who would not be welcome in such a place and his eyes showed his nervousness. They seemed to widen and soften as if in fear as the entire vehicle was swallowed whole by Northend East Plaza's parking basement.

"Squall?" the concerned teenager asked the boy beside her with what sounded like genuine concern emanating from her voice as she spoke. "What's wrong, are you claustrophobic?"

Squall shook his head slowly. "No, I just… I don't want to be recognised in there."

"Oh" Lacus replied, immediately seeing through what one with lesser intelligence may mistakenly perceive as some kind of clumsy insult, instead seeing the hidden vulnerability that lay beneath the brunette's words.

"I wouldn't worry about that" Walter interjected calmly. By now, he had managed to find a place to park and had disengaged the car's engine. "You see, no matter where you go, there are always _two_ malls; one new and one old, or in some cases; one good and one bad. _This_ complex is the lesser of the two so naturally; many shoppers will go to the other. Now" he said on an entirely different note "If the two of you hand me your timetables, I can get you your school supplies while we're here."

Both the teenagers sitting in the back handed their timetables over to Walter. The driver took both of the small pieces of paper and compared them. Now, it was a fortunate thing that Walter did not smoke, for if he did then his cigarette, cigar or pipe would surely be lying in his lap as of that moment for his jaw had dropped.

"Th-this is…" the aged servant stammered. _Damn, how could this have happened? Out of all the possible outcomes, why did it have to work out this way? This threatens to ruin−_

"Walter" the girl asked innocently "What is it?"

"This is… this is unexpected, very… _unlikely_ indeed." Walter had to catch himself before he mistakenly said what he truly meant. Indeed, it was unlikely but it also happened to be very _unfortunate_.

"What?" the girl asked yet again. Her concern was growing by the second.

"Th-these timetables" Walter said, his voice still shaking from the initial shock. "They are almost identical."

"What!??" the girl in the back seat asked. Both she and the boy shared the same reaction but only Lacus actually voiced it.

"No… in fact, they _are _identical. The two of you seem to share _every_ class together… what a… _coincidence_. Well, at least this makes it easier for me" Walter said, trying to return the light-hearted atmosphere to the interior of the car. He couldn't afford either of the two ignorant youths to suspect him of anything. He had to deceive them into trusting him for his employer's sake."

The greying butler pulled out a stationary list and cross-referenced it with the subjects listed on both timetables. He was done in next to no time and the teenagers in the back soon had their timetables back in their possession.

Walter stepped out from the car, walked to the back and opened the door for the two passengers. As they got out, he showed them the list he had made and informed them that he would take care of it. "I'll buy these things for the both of you. It shouldn't take me too long so I'll likely be done by the time you get back. I'll be waiting for you here, all ready to go."

"Thank you" Lacus replied gratefully "I'll… I mean _we'll_… try not to take too long."

"Oh, no" Walter calmly argued "_please_, take all the time you need."

Lacus nodded and walked toward the nearest elevator, taking special care to remember where Walter had parked. Squall followed closely behind her, although still managing to give the girl her distance at the same time. Walter smiled smugly at the sight like a master puppeteer smirking at the ignorant lowlifes he called his pawns as they unknowingly carried out his dark plans.

Squall and Lacus travelled up in the elevator to the ground floor and as soon as the door opened Lacus walked ahead as she led Squall to the first shop on their list. They were almost at the entrance of a popular clothes shop when they heard something that caused Squall's heart to sink so low into his bowels that he feared it would involuntarily escape his clenched clutches and be free of his body – lucky metaphorical heart. Squall's brain only wished it could be so lucky to break away from−

"Hey, Ikeike!" Squall hung his head and let out a repressed sigh. His eyes closed in a slow sombre blink that he held for longer than necessary. There was a _reason_ why Squall didn't want to be recognised here.

Both of the tall teens turned around. Their heads came up to the same height. They now stood facing in the other direction, staring in the face of a third person. He was slightly taller than Squall. His blonde hair was shorter and was slicked back – as opposed to the free-flowing unkempt brown of Squall's.

The blonde teenager wore an arrogant mask on his features, accented by the emerald green of his eyes. His face said it all. He was one of Rinoa's friends, following every prejudiced phrase of her enumerable, seemingly endless rants against anyone and anything she had a problem with, as though her very words were sacred idols to be worshipped by an ancient pagan cult. There was no need for Squall to have turned around. He should have just hurried off. If her were here on his own, he would have – of course, if he were here on his own he wouldn't be here at all.

Squall knew who it was before he even thought to turn around. He recognised the voice. An image of the blonde's taunting face flashed into his head immediately. "What is it?" Squall asked coldly and emotionlessly.

"Now, now Ikeike, is that any way to talk to former friends?"

"_Were_ we friends?" the brunette asked, still excluding any emotion from his speech. "I was never too sure about that… or is that how you treat your friends, the way that you all treated me. Is that what you consider _fun_? Have you found someone else to play your little games with?"

"No… but _she_ has." Squall's eyes widened. "I guess that explains how she felt about you then, doesn't it? She was telling me how you thought you could blackmail her into treating you like an equal… but you're no equal, you're not even trash. You're lower than that. Your plan didn't quite work, did it, Ikeike?" The blond's voice rose in pitch as his excitement and arrogance grew. "She allowed you to leave and then moved strait onto me. I'm quite surprised at your vanity though, Ikeike."

Squall's face contorted in confusion "my… vanity?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, you leave the warmth of the family that took care of you for almost two decades and run right into the arms of _that whore over there_!" Seifer fumed, pointing an accusing finger at Lacus, all the while not taking his eyes off Squall. "If _that's_ not ingratitude, I don't know what is. You've taken the name Caraway and covered it in dirt. You've insulted the family. You've tarnished what's left of the name of _her_ family too" he shifted his gaze over to Lacus, staring at her with eyes full of hate. "Hasn't he?" he added, speaking in a rhetorical question. He tilted his head to the side slightly and allowed his upper lip curve in a scornful sneer. "Although… I honestly don't see how that's possible, after what _you've_ already done to it." The blond turned his back on the other two and walked away laughing. He stopped and began talking again, not facing them. "Ikeike, saseko" he said, using the pet names he had made up for the both of them. "I'll see you around, assuming you have balls to show up at school… oh, wait, I guess I won't since neither of you do. He laughed again. "Maybe I should've said courage." He walked away from them again, leaving them standing in the middle of the mall.

Squall turned around again, forcing the encounter into the overcrowded closet at the back of his mind. He was ready to proceed as though nothing had happened when Lacus suddenly caught his eye. He could see sorrowful expressions playing from her face. Was she feeling sorry for him, after what that blonde bastard had said to her, how could she ignore that and instead feel sympathy for _him_? _God, am I really that pitiful of a sight to see? Damn, I must be pathetic._ "I'm… sorry about that" he finally managed to say after a while, accepting the encounter in its entirety as his own fault.

"Squall?" the girl asked. There was something about the way she said it. Her voice was almost… mournful. "Who… _was_ that?"

"It was… nobody. Don't even worry about him."

"But who was he?"

"He's just… he's just one of Rinoa's friends."

"Yeah, I gathered that much… but which one, who _is_ he?"

"Seifer Almasy."

"Oh…" the girl said quietly. A long silence passed between them. Neither felt like moving a single muscle. "Squall?" she finally asked, just as quietly and timidly as before.

"Yeah?" he replied hoarsely.

"You know the thing between you and her?" Squall looked her in the eye as an affirmative response. "What… what was that, I mean what exactly _was_ your relationship with her, because from what I've been told… I just can't come up with a satisfying answer." Squall's eyes both widened and softened as if in misery. Was her curious question asking causing the boy to suffer? "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me anything if it's difficult. It's just that… well, it's confusing. I mean was she your… _girlfriend_?"

Squall bowed his head in shame at the absurdity of the entire situation. The brunette slowly raised his head, his bangs now covering his face although not long enough to hide his eyes which were slightly watered – although not enough to promote the idea that he might start to cry. "Honestly?" he asked slowly in a soft unsteady voice. A long pause was to follow. He let out a melancholic sigh. "I don't even know" he breathed.

* * *

Squall followed the pink haired girl through the mall, laden with bags from different stores that sold various different items. Lacus had led him to all the different shops situated around the mall to pick up things that he would need throughout the year – not that he expected to be staying with her for that long but it was still nice for things like that to be taken care of before they were required to be.

Uniforms and stationary had already been purchased by Walter so the main things they needed were minor essentials such as clothing, underwear, socks, shoes and various other hygiene things that Lacus had suggested such as soap and a toothbrush. For the moment, it appeared that Lacus had decided to give the both of them a short break as she guided her companion to a table in the food court. She walked over and sat at an empty table – actually, all the tables were empty. That was strange considering the time of day. The girl dismissed the oddity and pulled out a nearby chair for Squall, gesturing for him to sit down beside her.

Squall took the seat and delicately placed the parcels down by his feet. Lacus noticed the way he did this. Nothing they had bought was fragile but it was still a good notion to see him taking such good care of things, regardless of whether they belonged to him or not.

Lacus would have liked to sit there quietly for a while longer but felt sure that something was out of place. The feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, rising to a climax along with the sound of approaching footsteps. _Could it be Walter?_ No, there were two sets of steps. Perhaps they would simply pass them by – but Lacus had a feeling that it wouldn't work out that way. The footsteps stopped and she could feel someone standing behind her as if she had a sixth sense.

She turned in her seat and looked into a pair of cold blue eyes. The sneering faces of both Yzak and Dearka looked down at her. She saw Yzak's eyes move to the right. "I can't believe you actually took him in" he commented cruelly. The girl's eyes narrowed in distaste.

"Come on now Yzak" Dearka said "It's not her fault, it's not his either." The boy's strait face cracked and he couldn't help but laugh. "Although I must say…"

"It's a pretty pathetic situation to be in" Yzak said, finishing his friend's sentence.

"Yeah, that's pretty shameful" Dearka scoffed "but that's what you get for pissing off the Harpy Queen, it's a good thing that Lacus was willing to take you in. I hope you're making it up to her… What _are_ you doing to make it worth her while?" Yzak joined his friend in sneering and scoffing the unfortunate boy.

Squall was used to this kind of treatment and was more than willing to let it pass. What he didn't count on was the girl beside him. "Is this why you came all the way here, to make fun of us, to mock us, well, is it?" she half asked, half demanded. Was this the kind of thing she would have to put up with from now on? "_It was bad enough before but now… could it really get worse?"_ She closed her eyes agonizingly but quickly opened them again upon hearing the answer to her question.

"No, actually we came to tell you something. We're here to deliver a message" Yzak informed her. "We're all gonna meet at Athrun's place later today."

"Kira won't be there" the girl answered.

"No, he won't. Cagalli won't either. You're invited to come. That's what Athrun wanted us to tell you… you can bring _him_ too, if you want." Both Yzak and Dearka turned and left, their job done.

After those two had gone Lacus decided that it was time that they, too got going. "There's just one more shop I want to go to, okay?" she smiled.

Squall nodded. "You're in charge" he answered without a thought "just lead the way and I'll follow."

Lacus couldn't help but think he had been trained well like a… well, like a lapdog, actually. She rose to her feet and began walking towards the shop she had in mind. They were soon there, at a shop by the exit, one they should have gone to first but at least it meant the car would be in close walking distance after their shopping was done.

They arrived in the corner of a large clothing shop where they found themselves surrounded by different types of trousers. "Well, here we are, our last stop for the day" Lacus said, quoting the announcement that a train conductor might say.

Squall looked around at his surroundings and came to an obvious conclusion. "But this is…"

"What?" Lacus asked, confused by the boys confusion.

"Why are we here? I mean this is… the Men's department."

"Yes, why, would you rather get a nice dress to wear around the house?" Lacus joked.

"No, I just thought that you were getting something for yourself."

"No, well… I _could_ while I'm here… but why _wouldn't_ I get you something?"

Squall walked over to the nearest wall which was lined with many different designs of black denim jeans. There were so many different designs – but to Squall – they all looked the same. To prove his point to the pinkette, he reached over to one of the pairs of pants and pointed out the price tag. "These are all in the twenty thousand price range. You could just as easily get me some generic clothes from a shop like the 'Bargain Bin' for no more than three thousand each."

To his amazement, Lacus seemed amused by the boy's argument. "Is that were you got those… _things_ you were wearing yesterday?" she asked, trying not to laugh at his 'bargain hunter's' spirit. She was inclined to call his clothes 'rags' as a friendly joke but decided against it at the last minute.

"Yeah" Squall answered truthfully and seriously.

Lacus' smile instantly faded. _Is he serious?_ "I though you were joking."

_Typical 'rich girl' attitude, too deluded to save money on non-labelled clothing._

"The Caraway's have always had far more material wealth than the Clyne's. In fact, they are the second most powerful family in _all_ of Dnaletsaw, just below the Zala's. Why would they hold back money to get you inferior clothing that wouldn't last as long?" Squall met her gaze for a short period before looking away.

_Is that true? Does more expensive clothing really last longer? Is that the reason why?_ Squall had been told that the rich were required to spend more money on material things than the poor and that was the way the economy worked. Was that a lie… or was it a joke? If it was not so… then why did the wealthy litter their homes with useless knick-knacks? It seemed more wasteful now then ever.

"I can't think of a single reason why they would do such a thing. It's not as though they couldn't afford it, it's the exact opposite."

"Maybe… they considered me unworthy of wasting money on" Squall replied glumly.

_Maybe…_ "Never mind about that now, go ahead and try on whatever you want.

Squall walked along the wall until he came to the section for his size and grabbed the first appropriate pair that he saw.

"Try them on" Lacus said, gesturing toward a nearby changing room.

The boy walked toward the cubicle and closed the curtain. One of the three walls contained a large mirror where he could look at himself to see what the clothes looked like. He removed his uniform trousers and tried on the new pair of pants. They were a little tight and almost a struggle to do up – but they _did_ fit, the tightness made them for more of a comfortable and snug fit in fact. He removed them and put his uniform pants back on before opening the curtain to see that Lacus was waiting for him. "How do they fit?" she asked.

"Alright" Squall answered.

"Get two or three" the girl instructed him, Squall's eyes widened in bewilderment. "I'm _not_ a wasteful person, Squall… but you should have at least two pairs of pants." Squall eventually nodded and took another pair from the wall.

Lacus took the clothing from him and proceeded to the counter to pay. She soon came back with another bag for Squall to carry. He sighed and held out his arm for her to hook the handles onto.

"Alright, we're done. Is there anywhere else you want to go?" the girl asked.

"No" Squall answered and unbeknownst to one another both teens breathed one final sigh of relief. Both of them just wanted to leave before either of them were recognised and forced into an awkward conversation again.

They went down in the elevator to the parking basement where they found Walter's car unlocked. Squall placed the bags on the floor in the back as he climbed in and sat down.

"Where to?" Walter asked them nonchalantly.

"Nowhere else today" Lacus replied, fastening her seat belt. Squall did the same with his. "Just take us home and then you're dismissed for the day."

"Home, really?" Walter asked somewhat bemused. "Aren't you going to that… what is it that you youngsters call it these days… that get together? Meh, good enough" he said, critiquing his own phrasing.

"What get together" the pink haired girl asked with genuine perplexity in her voice.

"That thing with all of Athrun Zala's friends, don't _you_ want to join them?"

"Oh, _that_" Lacus muttered dismally. She really didn't feel like spending time with Athrun's crowd. She had the remainder of the current day plus the next day until School officially began for the year. More than _anything_, she just wanted to be alone, especially now that she was stuck with the 'Squall issue.'

Secretly, she wished that Walter would not have found out about the 'get together' as he called it. She wished that he had simply taken her strait home so that she would have a reason not to show up. If only Walter hadn't… _wait… how did he…?_ "Walter?"

"Yes?"

"How _did_ you come to find out about the… gathering? How is it that you know so much, I mean _how_ do you find out about all these things? It seems like you know _everything_, like you're a wise old wizard or something."

"Wise: maybe, Old: definitely but a wizard?" the aged servant chuckled "Oh, if only that were true. Now, if you'll excuse me, aging gentlemen such as myself are entitled to some privacy… although the same does _not_ go for everybody else. Haven't you noticed how after overcoming a midlife crisis, people my age tend to become obsessive, nonsensical busybodies?"

"No, Walter. I didn't mean it like that" Lacus said defensively. "I was just curious. It just seems like you always know what's going on… and you've always been there, you've always known exactly what to do and what to say. I guess that's why I pictured you as some kind of all-knowing wizard or sage."

Walter chuckled again. "That I have" he admitted. "What can I say? I have my sources. Now then, what do you say? Will you go and meet with them?"

Lacus breathed an exhausted sigh. She didn't think of herself as 'lazy' but right now, she didn't feel up to being around a lot of people. It was exhausting. "I don't know" she admitted.

"Oh, come on, Miss Lacus. I beg you to reconsider. You don't want to wind up as a young man's withered old servant in fifty years time, do you? You should take advantage of social opportunities like this. You never know what might happen. Besides, it could be an excellent opportunity for Young Master Squall to get to know everyone better." Lacus turned to look at the brunette. She honestly hadn't thought to look at it from _his_ perspective. Maybe this _would_ be a good thing for him to get acquainted – she sounded like an intrusive parent telling people what was best for her teenage child without giving them the chance to work it out on their own.

She hated that, she decided to ask him. "Do you want to?" Walter gave a slight unseen smirk. He had _known_ that would work.

"Doesn't bother me one way or the other" Squall shrugged.

Was this true? Did he really not care or was he just saying this for _her_ sake? Could he tell that she didn't really feel up to it, or did he simply want to go home for the day?

She couldn't handle this pressure. She couldn't decide for the both of them. She wanted someone to tell her what to do but Squall had given her no such solution. She turned to Walter, her eyes pleading for resolve. She didn't even _care_ about the outcome. She just needed an answer. She needed someone to make this decision for her.

"Well, if you ask _me,_" Walter said, sensing the uncertainty that must have been showing through her eyes "I think the two of you should go."

"Alright" the girl said immediately and monotonously, not caring one way or the other. She had problems with either outcome but she could put them aside for now. After all, over the years she had gotten to be somewhat of an expert in the field of keeping her thoughts to herself.

Walter faced the road, ignited the engine and drove the teenagers to the place of Athrun's residence, the flat he shared with Dearka, Yzak, Nicol, Kira and Cagalli. The man drove at a speed that made the ride enjoyable – although when arriving at the destination, passengers felt disappointed that the trip was over entirely too early.

Once arriving at his desired destination, Walter let the sixteen year olds out, telling them "don't worry about all the shopping you did. I'll be sure to take care of that and sort it all out for you." Then, as soon as they had exited the car and closed the door he sped off, leaving them stranded with no other choice than to go in and be greeted by Athrun… assuming he was currently home. It_ should_ be noted however, that after dropping them off, Walter did not get very far at all.

He had hardly driven around the corner when his phone began to ring. He slowed the vehicle to a stop and pulled out his mobile flip-phone, flipping it open and pressing a button to answer it. He didn't even need to check to see who was calling. He already knew the only person it could be. "Yes sir?" he greeted.

"Yes sir" the man answered.

"I've persuaded them to attend."

Walter gave a little chuckle. "Well, it _has_ been a long time since I was a teenager… but I think the outcome is pretty obvious."

"They will tear him apart, emotionally, of course."

"Yes sir."

"You mean that water bottling plant and mineral shop?" Walter heard the man's conceited laughter through the phone.

"Oh, so you are talking about _that_ operation?"

"It seems that we have our work cut out for us. Getting Caraway in line will be hard enough… how do you expect to take control of Blue Cosmos as well?"

"Sir, are you proud of that?" The man laughed again.

"Aren't you afraid of him selling you out to one of them? I was under the impression that he was very chummy with Muruta Azarael."

"I see."

"Yes, very nice" Walter said, picking up various pieces of high end photography equipment. "Although I must say, I did prefer the old film photography to this new digital system… but that seems to be where the world is headed." He picked up a high quality long range camera lens, the kind likely used by stalkers and private investigators. This particular model could be fit with a night vision attachment for areas with low light.

"You can't really call it much of a party… what do you think will happen to that boy?"

"Nicol Amalfie… he is far too soft. He may feel sorry for the boy."

"But what if he and Miss Clyne were to bond?"

"But if they do… is it possible do you think to alter your plan slightly to include him?"

"He could be easily persuaded."

"What is that, if I may ask?"

"And if he stays, what of him then?" asked Walter. There was another long silence, much longer than the one before. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Silence

Then, finally… the man on the other end drew breath and spoke in a quiet but somehow dark tone.

"_He'd be better off dead."_


	6. Peace in Pig City part II

**Rock Bottom**

**Disclaimer: **All names and Characters belong to their respective copyright holders. The plot and Dnaletsaw setting belong to me

I don't own **Final Fantasy VIII**

I don't own **Gundam Seed**

I don't own **Hellsing**

I don't own **Initial D**

**Author's Notes:** First of all, let me apologise for the long wait and also for the **TWENTY THOUSAND** word filler that you are hopefully about to read. At least there is some character development in there and you also get to take a good look at what I've done to your beloved **Rinoa. **You're probably going to hate me for this so let me warn you. There are references to some rather unwholesome topics in here. Those of you whom are reading my **ff8** story **Angel of Decadence**, you should be fine but for the others, let me say that the plan for this was before that other story and now this one will probably come second in terms of lemony goodness but don't get too excited, that is all for later. In the next chapter, they will finally begin school, if all goes according to plan.

As an afterthought, I don't think anyone is even reading this but nevertheless, it should be noted that several aspects from this story are taken from my own opinions, attitudes and memories. For example, at school the principal would start the year always with the same recycled speech about how we were no longer required to legally be at school, as if he were persuading us to leave. I think part of that may have made it into Cid Kramer's speech in the last chapter. Also, the deputy Principal is based on the one that I knew, a bald man with a shiny head.

**Episode Six – Peace in Pig City (Part II)**

The two tall and slim teenagers stood on the edge of the road, staring in disbelief at the space in which there had, just moments before, been an exquisite car. It was hard to believe that a man of Walter's age could drive so fast. The main question on both of the young minds was 'why?' Why was Walter so eager to be rid of them? Why was he so insistent that they come here? Did he have far-away business or did he want Clyne house empty for some reason? Perhaps he was simply one of those people who sped everywhere as fast they could go, no-matter where they went. It was quite a perplexing predicament for young minds to lull over, especially at such a time – the end of a holiday – a time of both excitement and anxiety. Quite frankly, the two had more important things to occupy their minds with.

Lacus let out a sigh. "Shall we go in?" she asked. Even though it was presented as a question she did not expect an answer. They both knew there was no choice for either of them. They were puppets performing scripted actions in some play. She was merely trying to make the comment seem like a friendly suggestion as opposed to an order given to a servant without sympathy, care or emotion. Needless to say, being spoken to and treated this way was not something the brunette was used to. It was only natural for him to eye the girl suspiciously. The pinkette noticed the way he was looking at her and allowed her periwinkle eyes to widen. "Squall…?" she asked. "What… what is it?"

"Why are you talking to me in this manner?" he asked, breaking eye contact to look away. The slightest trace of pink stained the girls face, showing her embarrassment at the challenge.

"Wha-what do you mean? She asked.

"You keep saying these things to me. They're all just useless words and phrases and the one to whom you're directing them only makes them more-so.

"What?" Lacus asked, confused.

"You don't strike me as the kind of person to say things simply for the sake of speaking… so why? Why are you talking to me like this?"

"You don't like making conversation?"

"I don't buy into the futility of idle small-talk. It serves no purpose. What's the point?"

"Well, it is an enjoyable activity between friends and people that like each other. It also serves as a distraction from life's worries; a benefit in and of itself."

"An enjoyable activity between friends?"

"Yeah."

"Then don't bother talking to me" the brunette said coldly. "There are other people better suited to such a medial task."

Then what are _you_ suited for?" Squall quickly turned his back on the girl.

"I… I'd rather not say."

"I see" Lacus replied quietly. _He doesn't like me. _"Squall?" The brunette didn't reply. "Squall… can I ask you just one question?" There was a long silence before he answered her.

"Fine" he drawled in a monotone that implied he was dreading what was coming.

"Ah… it's about what you said earlier. You know, about you not saying things just for the sake of talking?" Squall silently nodded his head, still refusing to look at her. "Is… is _that_ the reason why you've been so quiet?" Squall's eyes widened. Lacus couldn't tell from just looking at the back of his head but he carried a wounded expression.

_Have I? Have I been quiet lately? Maybe it's because… _"Whatever" he said, adding a certain degree of acidity to his speech, as if he did not want to talk to her, hoping she would buy such an excuse to avoid more questions like this. Unbeknownst to him, not only did she believe the bitterness of his words, she lapped them up the way a kitten would cream. Neither could see the other's face but both wore masks of their hurt emotions.

"Squall, I'm sorry. I can see you don't want to talk about this but if you could please answer me… I promise I won't bother you with this again."

Squall gave a small sigh. _Things are better off this way. Even if I were to talk, nobody would listen. These people are so much better than me. Even if I wanted to talk to them… nobody cares what I have to say. _He straitened his face and turned around, looking directly into Lacus' face, his deep grey tainted sapphires penetrating her pure periwinkle orbs. When he spoke, it was in a voice void of warmth and emotion. He was as a machine, cold and stern. "Dogs should be seen and not heard." Once more, the pink-haired girl allowed her eyes to widen of their own accord.

"Wha…" she breathed.

"I've had that drilled into me since birth. I'm naught but a slave, from the cradle to the chain; and from my binds to my shallow grave. My wretched life is to be one of bondage and servitude. Anyone who may proceed to delude me otherwise is mere cruelty." Lacus gasped and reached for the brunette's arm.

"Squall… what did they do to you?" she asked, her voice barely audible." In response, Squall ripped himself out and away from her grasp, his face flashing with anger. For just an instant, his eyes narrowed into a hate-filled scowl. He stood silently and watched as the girl flinched from his aggressive display of emotion. No matter what she did or said, Squall would never resort to hitting her but she didn't know that.

"Kira…"

"What… What about him?" Lacus asked cautiously, not wanting to upset the boy further.

"Kira… Cagalli… and you too."

"What… what about us? She asked anxiously, backing away slightly.

"You are the cruel ones." She widened her eyes and her entire body froze in place.

"N-no, we're not!" she pleaded. "Athrun and Yzak, sure but they're the only ones like that, honest. The rest of us aren't cruel at all! You have nothing to worry about, they trust you!"

"No they don't. Yzak… he doesn't trust me at all. In fact, he outright hates me." Lacus shook her head in disbelief.

"No he doesn't. You must've misunderstood." Squall's eyes narrowed.

"While I may be completely useless in almost every way, I'm a little more competent than you give me credit for, if only a little."

"No, I wasn't…"

"For example" Squall interrupted her, not even wanting to hear the sweet sound of her voice in this instant. "I know when I'm not wanted. Yzak hates me. You all do. The only difference is that he came out and said it to my face while _you_ carry on around me with your lousy pretences of false friendship."

"No, you don't understand!" Lacus defended. This person wouldn't listen to her. He was misinterpreting everything. She wasn't like that at all. It was enough to bring her to the verge of tears.

"You _are_ cruel" Squall informed her coldly and without mercy. "You pretend to tolerate my presence and for that I'd feel at ease if not for the knowledge of what is to come next. If your ill-intent is to humiliate or blackmail me then I'd rather you get on with it and save me all this meaningless shit. Save us _both_ some time and get it over with already! You're just like her, a horrible, cruel person." That was enough. Squall had pushed her too far. Her eyes had watered and her lip had begun to quiver and yet he couldn't stop himself. "You're just as bad as her, if not worse. You're _just as bad as Rinoa!_"

That was it. As soon as he had said it he instantly lamented it but there was no way for him to take it back. In the awkward silence that followed, Lacus turned her back on him and ran. He buried his face in the palm of his hand. That was it, she was gone. Squall thought about going after her but decided it was best to just disappear. None of them wanted him there in the first place.

"This… is for the best" he told himself. There was nothing he could do to make up for what he had just said. The best apology would be to run off and die somewhere. Perhaps he could return to Caraway Mansion and have them do it for him. Maybe he'd finally be put to proper use. They could feed his inconsequential carcass to their other pet, their beloved pet. The thought of that brought a miserable smirk to his lips. "Yeah right" his voice quivered with each syllable, jumping back and forth between different octaves. "I forgot. That dog only eats _quality_ meat." Noissap was a two hour drive and he was on foot. It was too far a location to go just to die. He decided the best thing was to wander for a while until he thought of something.

He opened his eyes and ran, following Lacus' path toward the road.

Little did he know, she hadn't gotten very far at all. Not thinking anyone would bother coming after her, she had gotten as far as the gutter when she broke down in an emotional heap. When Squall noticed her, it caused his eyes to widen. He quietly approached and stood over her. She hadn't noticed him yet so he paused to think.

This was going to be awkward.

"Ah?" he said, still unsure of what to say and how to begin. She immediately turned her head to look at him, then rose to her feet and ran again.

"Don't come near me!" she shouted back at him, turning to see if he was following her. She noticed that he wasn't. Despite her outburst, her heart sank a little in knowing that he really didn't care. While running with her head still facing behind her, she ran into someone, only realising it after the impact and from the sharp intake of breath she heard. "Get away from me!" she cried, trying to push the person out of her way but rather than backing off, the person instead wrapped their arms around her.

"Calm down, Lacus" he cooed. She looked up to see that it was Yzak. Being comforted this way was not something she had experienced in a long time so it felt a little foreign to her. She simply stood there and allowed the boy to hold her until she could force the events of the past few minutes to the back of her mind. Everything had been going fine between Squall and she, up until Walter suggested that they come here. Since they got here, everything had started falling apart – but at least now she knew where she stood with him. Now she was certain that he hated her as well as all her friends. "What happened?" he asked her.

"It's nothing… but I don't think we should be here now. I just want to be alone for a while."

"_You_" he said, speaking to Squall in a much harsher tone. "What happened?"

"Nothing" Squall replied, giving no more information than his pink haired counterpart.

"Whatever, tell the truth." Squall sighed.

"It's nothing, really. I just let her know what was on my mind. I realise now that it was a mistake to do so. For that I apologise. Nothing good has ever come out of my speaking my mind. You'd think I'd know not to but… I couldn't keep it bottled up anymore. The way you've all been acting has been rather unnerving to me."

"I didn't ask for your life story" Yzak replied, growing steadily more aggravated. "I just wanted to know why Lacus was running from you. Baka, what did you do to her?!!"

"It was nothing" Lacus calmly stated. "We just had a little disagreement, that's all. It wasn't even that, really. I've had… I've had a lot on my mind lately. Like I said before, I need to be alone for a while."

"Okay, go inside."

"But…" the girl protested, beginning to panic once more. How could she face everyone now? It was embarrassing. She'd had a complete mental breakdown in Athrun's driveway. What if they had seen? Yzak _certainly_ knew. How was she supposed to face them?

"Lacus, just go inside. Okay?" Yzak said smoothly. "I promise you it will be alright. Athrun and Dearka are in there. They'll make you feel better… and if you still want to go after a while, I'll take you strait home. Okay?" Lacus felt her heart grow a little lighter. That sounded reasonable. She nodded her head slowly and backed away, catching Squall's eye momentarily as she slowly made her way back up the driveway. Once she was out of sight, Squall turned and continued his way toward the road when Yzak stopped him.

"What?" the brunette asked him impatiently. All he wanted was to be as far away from these people as possible.

"Where are you going? I want you to tell everyone exactly what was going on."

"You already know."

"I wonder if Lacus would tell it differently if you weren't around."

"Maybe, who knows? You'd have to ask her. You'll never see me again so don't worry. Just remember, whatever she says…"

"Yeah, I know. Don't believe a word. She's exaggerating, right?" Squall's eyes narrowed.

"I wasn't going to say that."

"Eh?"

"I was going to say… whatever it is that she tells you would be the truth… so believe everything that she tells you. I'm leaving. Tell her that I am sorry, for what little it may be worth."

"That's really not up to you."

"Whatever." No sooner had Squall gotten the words out than a fist had connected with his gut, causing him to bend over and gasp in pain. His eyes connected with Yzak's cold stare.

"Not so cocky now, are you." Squall simply looked up at his aggressor in silence. His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Do… do that again?" he asked.

"What?"

"Hit me again." Yzak did as instructed and drew back his fist before driving it hard into Squall's abdomen once more; hitting the tender area he had just softened up with his previous blow. It was a hard hit and while certainly painful, Squall had suffered much worse in the past, at the hands of Rinoa and her friends. Come to think of it, Caraway was the only one who had not shown him abuse, at least not directly. After taking a few seconds to recover, he looked up at Yzak once more and smirked. "While I may not have been acting cocky before, I am now."

"Eh?"

"Is that your best? You've been outmatched for a long time. Maybe you're not as intimidating as I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've suffered worse beatings than that on my birthday."

"Say what?!!"

"You know Seifer Almasy?"

"What about him?"

"He could hit twice as hard as that when he was in grade school. Not only that, he could beat all of us while drunk if he wanted to." Yzak scowled and hit him once more before roughly bringing him back up to his feet and escorting him up the driveway.

"We'll see what Athrun has to say about you. He was in a good mood before and if you're lucky, he still will be but from the state Lacus was just in, I wouldn't be so sure."

"Whatever" was the brunettes reply – the only sound either of them made until they were both inside Athrun's flat.

Yzak shoved the brunette forward, causing him to walk out in front as they made the short journey up the driveway. There was little he could do. Once again he found that he had no control of the situation. This was nothing new, merely a case of familiarity. Looking back, he found that this kind of thing seemed to happen a little too often. This was no exception. As pitiful as his situation may have seemed, it was merely another event existing to prove the rule. Squall was not looking forward to seeing the faces of the people waiting for him. They would probably hate him for breaking their friend like a rough child who breaks other's toys. It was a bleak feeling, one that dissipated the instant he opened the door.

Rather than see six eyes on him, burning holes in his skin like acid, he instead saw what appeared to be amused smirks. He clearly did not see it coming but he felt it – a heavy bow to the head coming down from strait above. A heavy metal bucket came down as soon as the door had opened and hit the unsuspecting brunette, spilling its contents all over him. He couldn't tell exactly what it was but there was certainly some kind of foul mixture. There seemed to be water, sawdust and mud – as well as a few other things that could not be placed.

Squall removed the bucket from his shoulders and allowed it to drop loudly to the floor with a clang. He looked around and saw – rather than anger – laughter and amusement. Even Lacus wore an entertained smile. _Is this why I am here?"_ he asked himself. _"Am I merely here for their amusement? Is that all I am to them? Why should I hang around to be ridiculed by complete strangers? If given the choice between a jester and a dog, I'd rather be alone. All that I seem to be is a scapegoat. Is this payback for what I said or will this be a common occurrence? Why should I bother to find out? If these people had let me be at the lake… Fuck this!_ – he screamed in his head. He turned around, pushed Yzak out of his way and headed back the way he had come, back toward the road. _This_ was the better option _after_ all.

"Hey, wait up!" a voice called out after him. Squall stopped and turned around to see Dearka coming toward him. "You _know_ that was only a joke, right?"

"Is that why I am here, to have jokes played on me?"

"No… but we decided that Lacus needed cheering up so we decided to pull a little prank on you."

"So _she_ was in on this too?" Squall asked, referring to the mess in his already unkempt hair. Not only that, his new shirt was ruined."

"No… and don't go holding it against her either" Dearka answered. "She was against it at first but she couldn't really do anything about it before you showed up and triggered our trap. It was a good practical joke though, right? I mean even Lacus was laughing. It's just what she needed to get out of the state she was in." There was a silence in which nobody spoke. All through it Squall could tell that the other boy was not yet finished. He felt as though he were being studied. "Man… what did you say to her? It must've been pretty bad to make her all sad like that. Normally, she's so happy and good-spirited.

_Is it because of me?_ Squall wondered.

"You two are alike, you know."

"We… we are?"

"Yeah, you both take things _way _too seriously. You both need to just loosen up and have more fun."

"_Sure, when you say it like that but… it's not so easy."_

Alright, let's get you cleaned up." Squall shifted his gaze to meet Dearka's eyes. "That's your school shirt so you'd better clean it, right?"

"Yeah… thanks."

"Don't mention it" the blond replied nonchalantly as he led the way to what appeared to be a garden hose. He pointed the hose at Squall and turned on the water, dousing him in a low-pressure jet of water and completely saturating his shirt. "You'd better take that off" Dearka instructed. When the brunette hesitated, he added "You don't want to catch a cold on your first week of school, do you?" That was true. Squall slowly removed his school shirt and then the undershirt he was still wearing, given to him by the pink haired girl the night before. Just then he saw Lacus and Athrun walk outside. They appeared to be having a conversation. He wondered what they could be talking about as Dearka continued to hose him down like an old dirty car.

"Hey, I'm sorry about him" Athrun said. He and Lacus were talking as they walked. They had just come outside and were taking a stroll around the area.

"Huh?" the pinkette replied absentmindedly. She may have agreed to take a walk but her consciousness was miles away.

"Squall, I mean. I'm sorry to stick you with him."

"Oh, no. forget about it. That which happened just now, it wasn't Squall's doing. I've had a lot on my mind and something he said just triggered something. I'm not going to hold it against him or anything."

"Oh, right. I still don't know what it is that he said to you but I wasn't actually talking about that."

"Oh?"

"No. I was referring to the entire situation. I just kind of dumped him on you… but look at it this way. _Someone_ has to take him. Its like you're doing the world a favour by taking the helpless loser off their hands." Lacus narrowed her eyes at the boy. She didn't share his so-called witty sense of humour. Joking was one thing but she drew the line at antagonisation.

"You shouldn't put him down like that, even if it's not to his face. To talk about someone behind their back is disrespectful." Athrun was about to argue Lacus' determination to defend the brunette when Dearka got his attention.

"Hey, guys!" he called out. Athrun and Lacus both rushed over to see what he wanted.

"What is it?" the pinkette asked. She noticed that Squall was standing there being soaked by a hose, wearing nothing but his school pants. Looking at his face, she also noticed that he refused to even look at her. She wondered if he was still angry or whether he just genuinely hated her.

"This baka just wet his pants!" the blond cried out jokingly."

"Where?" Athrun asked enthusiastically.

"Right here!" Dearka answered, flicking his wrist as if to point the location out with the water stream and subsequently saturating the fabric that had been bone-dry just seconds before. Squall simply stood there in embarrassment while the other's all laughed at his expense. Even Lacus laughed. These pranks – both of which likely having been Dearka's doing – were the some of the first instances in which the brunette had ever seen Lacus laugh but it seemed to die down the instant their eyes met.

"Now you'd better take your pants off" Athrun added to the joke. Squall narrowed his eyes.

"He's right. You don't want to get sick, do you? There's no need to be shy" Dearka teased.

"Hey, Lacus, can you show Squall my room?" Athrun asked when the joke was through.

"Yeah" Lacus answered her face blank. She was a little uncertain about the situation.

"You can get a change of clothes from my room" Athrun informed the considerably soaked brunette. "Take whatever you like. Don't worry about it, you can keep them."

"Thanks" Squall replied. Lacus led the way and Squall followed her. It was not far to the building and there was little time for conversation. If the pinkette had anything to say, she'd have to make it quick.

"Squall?" she asked.

"What?" Squall replied quietly.

"I… I just want to apologise for them."

"What for?"

"Well, Athrun was saying some things and… I'm starting to think that you were right. I'm sorry about what I said before. I really didn't understand the situation." She didn't realise it but her voice really was dripping with dread.

"No, I guess you didn't… but it's not your fault. It is only natural for the vain to be malleable tools used by those they call friend" Squall replied without emotion.

"Excuse me?"

"Forgive me" Squall apologised, although Lacus could easily tell he was insincere. His words seethed venom like the mouth of a poisonous snake. "I keep forgetting my place. I must learn to keep my thoughts to myself. Being around you, I seem to have forgotten everything I learned from the Caraways.

Not wanting to upset him further, Lacus maintained silence throughout the remainder of the way to Athrun's room.

Once inside, Lacus handed Squall a towel so that he may dry himself after the shower Dearka had given him. The brunette quickly ran it through his hair, rubbing it dry before wrapping the partially saturated cloth around his shoulders. He continued to follow Lacus around the flat until she came to a halt. After stopping, she turned to face him. "This is Athrun's room. He has a large wardrobe for you to choose from so make your choice and then come out and join us. We'll be outside. Athrun usually cooks a barbeque when we all get together like this." Squall silently nodded, waiting for the girl to leave – but she didn't. "Um… I'm sorry about Dearka, as well. He fancies himself as a bit of a jokester so… try not to take him seriously, okay?"

"So? Why are _you_ apologising?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, you sound really pretentious when you apologise for other people." The girl seemed to flinch from Squall's words. Did they really sting her that much? He found the girl's quirks rather strange. Was she actually hurt by the things that he said? Most people wouldn't even give a second thought to the bitter by-products that came dripping out of his mouth like the cud of a cow incapable of chewing. "You told me that you hated it when people made unnecessary apologies but like a hypocrite, here you are doing the same thing. Why?"

"What… what are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, you said that you hated it when people apologise about things they don't understand and to act as though they do is two-faced."

"I did? You… you remembered what I said?"

"Yeah. You see, unlike _some _people, I like to actually _listen_ when people talk, unfortunately, all the meaningless noise that most people babble on about makes that somewhat difficult." Lacus' eyes widened.

"I…" she began but then stopped herself. "I'll leave you alone" she finally said.

"Yeah, you do that" Squall replied as he watched her leave, unaware and uncaring of what she was about to say. It had become clear to him that his situation had hardly changed at all. No matter where he went, he was still unwanted and unloved. His only role in life was that of a scapegoat. They all hated him – and the funny thing was – they always would.

As Squall ploughed through Athrun's massive wardrobe he was overcome by the abundant selection, much like a deer that freezes up in a spotlight. There were so many items of clothing that it was actually reminiscent of a clothing store. It took a while to sort through it all to find something suitable to wear but there was a very vast variety and he eventually found something he felt suited and would fit him nicely within the mountain of fabric apparel. He slipped on a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans before neatly putting everything back where he had found it.

Before leaving the room for what would likely be the first, last and only time; Squall took a few minutes to look around. The room may have had an extravagantly large wardrobe but as it turned out, Athrun seemed to have equally large collections of music, movies and even videogames – none of which Squall was familiar with. The Caraway household had no room for useless entertainment devices such as videogames. In the huge mansion, space was precious and room had to be made for the all-important knick-knacks. Even outside of the house, Rinoa had not been to a gaming arcade in a long time, not since she was a child. Not since she was innocent – if she could ever have been called that. With a sigh, Squall left the room, closing the door behind him and after making a detour to drop his towel off in the bathroom, headed outside where the others were all waiting, all the while dreading the reunion. Squall did not much care to see them and knew for a fact that they did not want to see him.

The brunette sauntered out toward the waiting party, his mind clogged with thoughts that threatened to harm him, each equally distracting, distressing and as sickening as a blockage in a drain shared by an entire neighbourhood. Once outside, he looked on without really taking anything in. He tried to ignore the potentially malevolent people he was not on par to call his peers. They were likely doing the same to him in trying to pretend that he did not exist. It was nothing new and certainly not unheard of. He was used to it. There were several lawn chairs set out over the place so Squall walked over to the farthest one away from the residence's legal residents and sat in silence. He did not expect anyone to bother him here. He felt sure that these people would do their best to ignore him so he could simply allow time to slip by.

From across the room, he did not notice a pair of eyes on him. He did not suspect anyone would cross the small square lawn. He was not worth the effort. Even when someone had approached him and stood nervously behind him, he did not notice them. When she finally spoke, the surprise made Squall jump.

"Squall?" Lacus said nervously "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Is there something you wanted?" Squall curtly questioned.

"Ah… well, actually…" she trailed off "no, not exactly."

"And yet you came all this way. Why?"

"You were on your own… and I was getting tired of Athrun…"

"So you thought you'd give me a go?" Squall said bitterly, finishing her sentence for her. He could just imagine Rinoa saying exactly the same thing.

"No, wait, that's not what I mean. He was making jokes about you."

"Who, Athrun? I thought Dearka was the prankster. Get your story strait."

"Dearka is harmless, but Athrun has been saying things behind your back. He's criticising and mocking you."

"So what, I'm used to it. I've gone beyond caring what others think of me." Lacus' eyes widened.

"Is that true?"

"Yeah, I've long since learned that trying to please people is impossible. If somebody doesn't like you, there's no possibility of changing their mind so why bother? It's futile."

"So… there's no chance?"

"No. Trying to do so is pointless. It may even make them hate you more. I know this as fact. I just don't give a fuck anymore."

"I see" Lacus said, her voice once more filled with bleak misery. "Do you… do you mind if I sit down? It'd be awkward to go back now."

"Go ahead." Lacus felt her heart lighten at the response. She wasted no time in sitting down in the chair next to Squall's.

"Are you serious, about what you said, you know, about not caring what others think."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

"Then… I pity you" Squall remained silent. "I do, to live that way seems so lonely… yet at the same time I envy you. To not care what others think of you, to be able to say and do what you like without fear of consequence. To erect such a fortification around yourself, your will must be one of iron. You must be so much stronger than I. I could never do that." Again, Squall remained silent, for a long while until he at last gave a sigh."

"You don't understand at all, do you?" he asked. His tone was neutral and for the first time since arriving here, there was no gilded edge to his words. He spoke as if they were still at the mall. "I am not this way out of personal preference; I am the way I am out on necessity. I… I want to apologise for earlier. If we go back your residence, I will not lash back at you. It is not the way I usually am. I guess… this place has brought out the worst in me. You think I'm in a foul mood, right? I guess it's not too far from the truth to say so."

"You're not alone." Squall stared at the pinkette beside him. "The people here can get a bit tedious at times. Whenever I'm here, I always find that I need to take a break from all of them. To make matters worse, Kira isn't here. I usually tend to go for a walk on my own but today I suppose I won't need to. It's a good thing you're here. It gives me someone new to talk to." She sat, smiling for a minute until her grin faded. She had just realised what she had said. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to offend you again."

"You… you didn't" Squall answered. That was the closest thing he'd ever felt to being wanted in his life. He was unsure of how to respond. He had been used before, sure; but in a much less wholesome way. His opinion of the girl beside him was changing once more, for the better this time. The two sat and talked, watching as Athrun cooked food for them all and while others ate. Both insisted that they were not hungry and settled for watching the others eat. After all was done, they all went inside and stayed the night.

Inside the flat, the students ended their last night of freedom the way young people would spend the night before their wedding – they celebrated. This would be their last chance to do so, save for Friday nights; The entire flat blasted music that pulsated in time to its own rhythmic beat that travelled far, penetrating skin and settling in the listeners chests, increasing the heart rate. The fridge was stocked full of alcoholic drinks, bought legally now that the residents here were all sixteen. In Dnaletsaw, Sixteen was the legal age for everything. They could now live alone, drink, watch adult entertainment, drive and do almost anything else. They could even leave school and join the military if they so chose. Squall sat on his own as the others drank to the music. He had attended plenty of these social occasions and yet he had no idea what to do. Rinoa would always drag him along as a decoration but this time he was by himself. He sat and watched as the others had their fun, unsure of what they saw in such activities.

He looked around and noticed everyone. Yzak and Dearka were talking and drinking in one place. Athrun was talking to Lacus somewhere else. All the while, he seemed to be driving her off somewhere so that the two could be alone. She didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't seem to mind but it was obvious what Athrun had on his mind.

Over the course of the night, the two seemed to edge further away from everyone else until they had disappeared completely into the hall. It was as if they wanted to disappear without anyone noticing – a futile gesture in its purest form. If they wanted to go, they should have just gone. Rinoa would have and so would her friends. Perhaps Lacus had a point when she said that she worried about what others thought of her. Squall suddenly remembered the way she cringed when he mentioned her quirks and insulted the way she apologised for her friends. Was she one of those people who wore their hearts on their sleeves? Such people were seen as weak, especially the sensitive types. Squall was like that once but that was long ago. Living with Rinoa caraway and her workaholic father was enough to harden up even the sloppiest of slackers and the most sentimental of people. Despite this, it was not something he would wish upon anyone. Nobody deserved that kind of…

"You like her, right?" someone asked, knocking Squall out of his contemplation. Without looking, he could see that it was Dearka.

"Whatever" he replied monotonously.

"I know you do. You've been staring at the hall since she went up there."

"Your point? I'm just thinking, that's all. I've got a lot on my mind lately."

"Yeah, sure. Deny it all you want but she was getting pretty chummy with you before."

"Only because she feels she has to."

"Well, aren't you just a barrel of laughs" Dearka joked, just trying to get a rise out of him. He never did. He would try again and again all night without any luck. Squall wasn't in a mood to laugh. He phased out the music; he could phase out the annoying voice beside him as well.

* * *

On the other side of Westend, a very different person was spending her last free night in a not so different way. Caraway Mansion was a big and empty place. Rinoa had never really realised it before. She had never once been lonely in her life. She'd always had her two dogs to keep her company, she'd always kept them close and treated them fairly similarly although she allowed one of her dogs far more liberties than the other. Squall had always been such a good pet. He'd followed her around like a loyal puppy and completed every last request she made of him without complaint or any kind of comment. He'd been trained since childhood to act as the perfect lapdog. It had all been fine up until that trip to the lake where he'd gotten a little too bold for his own good. It was common knowledge that disobedient dogs were put to sleep. It was his own fault, really. Who did he think he was, anyway? He'd actually tried to blackmail Rinoa Caraway. Nobody did that and got away with it. Nobody even dared to try such a foolish feat.

Of course, it wasn't as though Rinoa had gotten out of the mess unscathed. It seemed that Caraway didn't care one way or the other but now Rinoa had no-one to do things for her. Now she'd have to start doing everything for herself. It was unthinkable. Why was _she_ being made to suffer like this? Why should _she_ have to do all the servant's work? Caraway had explained to her that she'd be in charge of looking after the house until he could organise a butler or a maid to take over. He had almost seemed amused about the entire ordeal.

Of all the people in the world, Rinoa's best friend sat beside her, a hard liquor bottle in her hand, only feeling partially buzzed. They had been listening to music but after it had ended, neither of them felt like getting up to put anything else on. Rinoa and Flay had each known the other for the entirety of their lives. It never occurred to them to question the reason for this. What they saw as a common friendship was really more of a partnership. The Allsters and the Caraways had an alliance. The two families worked together – in a sense – in the business world and as such, had been friends for generations. Of course, since most people tended to take things at face value, this little fact was never unearthed. Nobody bothered to read between the lines anymore. After all, why should they? The subliminal was never _supposed_ to become common knowledge. That which was not known was not wanted to become known by those pulling the strings. All people were puppets and those to see the truth were ignored as crazed fools believing in invisible links and wild conspiracies.

Flay raised the bottle to her mouth and swallowed a large mouthful of the clear liquid within. "You know?" she said glumly, handing the bottle over "without Squall here, this isn't really as much fun."

"Say what you want" Rinoa snapped, snatching the bottle away from the red-haired girl and taking a larger swig than Flay ever would. Rinoa always drank a lot more than Flay ever did – or could. She could handle more alcohol than anyone the redhead knew and also, after mastering a certain muscle relaxing technique, could literally pour it strait down her throat, allowing her to potentially drain a new bottle in one swallow if she'd wanted to.

Despite their closeness and similarity, there _were_ striking differences in their personalities and even appearances. In her own personal opinion, Flay thought that she stood out more, physically. Her hair was bright red and her eyes were light blue; as opposed to Rinoa's black hair and brown eyes. Those were such common colours, weren't they? Perhaps that was only because roughly sixty percent of Dnaletsaw's population was Japanese in origin. The Caraway's however, had been here for many generations, originally part of the British Empire. The Alster's had been here almost as long but they had originally come from the United States.

"I don't need that useless bitch anymore!" Rinoa stated, although from the sound of her voice, it was obvious that she was already somewhat drunk. She was about take yet another swig from the large bottle when a hand stopped her.

The hand belonged to a guy with short blonde hair and green eyes. Although Flay recognised his face, she knew not his name, knowing him only as another of Rinoa's friends. The blond guy swallowed a mouthful of the drink. "You Daddy doesn't trust you here alone without Squall to inform on you." To that, Rinoa let out a cruel laugh.

"Oh, hell!" Rinoa joked "If only he knew I told the bitch exactly what to say! If only he knew what we _really_ used to get up to! That useless fuck's so damn naïve! He used to believe whatever the hell that brown haired twat told him." Then, Flay began to giggle.

"See what I was talking about?" she insisted. "Without Squall, what are we gonna do now?"

"I got it" Rinoa replied with a devilish smirk. "We'll use this guy. Flay, meet Seifer. He's gonna be Squall's replacement." To that, Flay dropped her grin. She didn't like the sound of that. This guy wouldn't compare to Squall, she knew it.

Seifer set the bottle on the ground and sat down, looking Flay strait in the eye. When he spoke, he did so as if reading the reservation in her eyes. "Hey, what are you worried about?" he asked her. "I'm much better than Squall. Whatever that ikeike can do, trust me; I'm a million times better."

"That's a pretty big assumption" Flay retorted.

"What can I say?" Seifer replied smugly. "I'm _full_ of talent; more than Squall, anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure" Flay defended. "I've seen Squall do things that nobody else could think of. You can't compare to him, nobody can." Seifer gave a scornful snort.

"That ikeike can't do shit."

"You're wrong. You've never seen him alone, in private. He could do things that…"

"Flay!" Rinoa curtly cut her off. "You and I both know that Squall _can_ do some things… but who the fuck do you think taught him? He was only able to do that because of me. Trust me, Flay. When I'm done with Seifer, he'll be able to show you things that bitch was incapable of." The redhead gave a depreciative sigh.

_Maybe I'm not that patient_ she mused. _Besides…_ she stood to her feet and walked away from the other two. "Even if I was, even after however long that would take" she said, ending her thought aloud "It wouldn't be the same.

"Where are you going?" a perplexed Rinoa asked. Flay looked back with an anxious expression.

"I'm ah…" she hesitated. "I'm just going for a walk." She turned back toward the hallway out of the living room and silently sauntered out, leaving Seifer and Rinoa to themselves. After watching her leave without another word, they exchanged bemused expressions.

"The fuck's with her?" Seifer asked, admittedly a little aggravated. He was not used to people walking away from him in such a manner. Rinoa shrugged her shoulders at him before taking up the bottle once more. After a large swig, she finally spoke.

"She's taking the news kind of harshly" she informed him. "Then again" she said, taking yet another swig from the bottle "I guess it's only to be expected."

"Expected?" Seifer questioned her, reaching for the bottle in her hand, the bottle she refused to relinquish; the resulting tug-of-war extracting a minor glare from the young she-drunk. Seifer responded with a conceding smirk and withdrew his hand. The black-haired girl shrugged off his misdemeanour and dropped her glare, reverting her facial expression back to neutral before raising the bottle to her lips once more for another large swallow. She allowed the liquid to pass through her throat before elucidating.

"He was her first fuck" she explained simply. Seifer's eyes widened and he looked as if he were choking on air.

"Seriously?" he asked, not believing a word of it.

"Yeah" Rinoa answered nonchalantly. "Then again, he was mine as well." This time, if Seifer _had_ been drinking, he seriously _would_ have choked.

"You're kidding!"

"No" Rinoa said, taking yet another drink. "It's no wonder she's acting this way. Some people are sentimental like that. They make useless attachments and see special bonds were there are none. She'll get over it soon enough. By that time we'll be able to take her mind off the bitch, right?" she asked, her eye narrowing in such a way as to inform the blond that he had no choice in the matter, not that he'd refuse anyway.

"So when did it happen?" he asked "You know, with her… and him?" Rinoa shrugged again.

"It was a while ago now…" she began.

While they were talking about her, Flay was a million miles away – theoretically speaking. She was off in her mind but the reality was that she was only walking around the mansion. She was so deep in thought that she did not take in any of her extravagantly collected surroundings. This would usually be a time for the redhead to admire the various artworks decorating Caraway Mansion but for now she was too distracted. She lamented change and this was all happening so fast, too fast.

It just wasn't fair. Why did this have to happen now? Friday nights were something that Flay had come to enjoy. The head of the Caraway household would be away and wouldn't get home until late Saturday morning. It was always the same yet it never got old. While he was away, the three of them would be alone together. The three of them – Squall, Rinoa and Flay – the three of them would sit in the dark haired girl's room doing things they dared not tell outsiders about. It had all started simply enough when they were young children as a weekend hangout for the three of them but over the years their list of activities had grown less and less wholesome, usually due to Rinoa getting drunk and suggesting more and more daring activities, lest she grow bored of them and put an end to it.

Strangely enough, that's exactly what happened, in the end. Rinoa tired of her pet and set him loose, literally abandoning him at the lake. If it were possible, Flay would have tried to get him back. She could picture herself running up and down those grassy fields, searching for him as though he really were a dog but she knew it wouldn't work. Even if she found him and assuming he had nowhere else to go, Flay would not be allowed to bring him home with her. Even though there was ample room at her house, her parents would not allow her to invite strangers to stay, even if she knew them. Flay wasn't even allowed to keep a pet, Unlike Rinoa who had her dog Angelo.

The redhead gave a short, sharp sigh. It was no use even allowing these wasted thoughts to pass through her. From what she'd been told, it was too late to go back anyway. Squall had already been claimed by another. Now it was all over. There was no chance whatsoever of going back to the way things had been before those two went away for the weekend.

She didn't care that she was acting like a glutton. She didn't care if she seemed selfish. Squall was able to do things that she'd never experienced before, things she'd never even heard of before. While it was true that Flay had only ever used two males as lovers, she knew that Squall was something special. The other – Kira – had not been anywhere near as experienced. She didn't care _what _Rinoa said. Squall _was_ special. Squall could do things that others couldn't.

_Wait_ her mind thought. _What am I saying? What is this all of a sudden? _Could this have been something more than a case of lost property? Sure, she didn't own Squall – if anyone, Rinoa did but all the same, after everything they'd done together, she felt as though she had some sort of claim on the boy. She missed him. That was it, wasn't it? She missed him, not in an emotional sense but more in the physical meaning of the word, as in she no longer possessed him. She missed him as a miser would miss their money after being forced to part with it. She felt the same materialistic chill deep inside her chest. Something felt out of place. Something was wrong. It wasn't the same and it never again would be. There was no denying it. After having him around for so long, it just felt so wrong, not having him around.

Something was missing. _He_ was missing. Flay wondered if things would ever go back to being a semblance of what they once were. Could they? Was it even possible? Could Seifer possibly take Squall's place? There was no way. Even just by looking at him there was too big a difference. His face, his hair, his eyes – they were all wrong.

Without realising it, Flay's eyes narrowed in anger, an emotional maelstrom directed at Rinoa, her oldest and closest friend. It was all because of her. Even if half of what she said about Squall were true, even if he _had_ tried to blackmail her, he was only showing initiative. It was a sign of strength. He had had enough of being her slave. Anyone would have after sixteen years but she didn't have to throw him out like a used cloth. She could have disciplined him, or better yet, given him a new purpose in life. She could have started treating him as more of an Equal. The redhead knew that _she_ would have. Even if it meant helping him out every once in a while. Anything would have been better than allowing him to simply leave like that. Evidently, Rinoa possessed a strength in her indifference – one that Flay didn't have.

While it may have been true that Squall brought up the subject, it was Rinoa who finished it. _She's _the one who let him leave. She was the one who left without him, leaving him stranded at Lake Noissap. It should have been seen coming and through Rinoa's conceited indignation, Flay had lost everything. First she lost Kira and now she had lost Squall as well. Soon, she would have nothing left. It would be the ultimate punishment, to live amongst so many priceless artefacts and yet have nothing at all of worth.

Flay decided to go against all her weeks of tradition. Ever since she could remember, she had always stayed the night at Rinoa's house every Friday and while this was technically Monday, with tomorrow being the last free day before school officially began, they had treated it as a weekend. Flay had never gone home at night before but found very little persuading her to stay. Squall was gone and he wouldn't be coming back – ever. On top of that, Rinoa seemed to be busy giving Seifer some kind of special dog training, probably a block course of everything she taught Squall, minus the parts on possessiveness and slavery.

Needless to say, Flay wasn't particularly impressed with Rinoa's new choice in lapdog but whatever they were doing would likely take all night. She saw little reason to stay. _"They probably wouldn't even notice if I stayed or not"_ she bitterly thought. That's when she made her decision and made her way toward the exit.

Once out the door, she headed straight for her car and stepped inside. The vehicle itself was a red convertible, a car that she had gotten only recently. She stepped inside and started the ignition before pulling away from the mansion. As she was turning into the road, a thought struck her. _"This place looks different at night."_

Back inside the house, Rinoa and Seifer hadn't moved at all. They remained rooted to the same spot, albeit a little more intoxicated. Rinoa took another long swig from the now near-empty bottle and swallowed the liquid. When her eyes came to settle on the blond beside her she was greeted by a sideways glance. Her brown eyes narrowed "what?" she snapped, not being accustomed to that accusatory look.

"Do you _always_ drink this much?" he asked.

"What's it to you?" she asked heatedly.

"Nothing, really" Seifer replied defensively, not wanting to get on her bad side. He'd seen what she'd done to people who angered her. Hell, Squall was a good example of that. "It's just that… I've never seen someone drink so much." Rinoa's lip pulled upward into a smirk.

"Do you think I have a drinking problem?" she asked scornfully.

"Well…" Seifer replied amusedly "maybe you're not _that_ bad…" he replied, snatching the bottle from her and raising it to his lips. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, draining the liquid, not stopping until the last of it had gone down his throat. Once he was done, he was met with a stern, angry look.

"I've never been with a girl that can out-drink me" he said "I can't be put to shame like that." Rinoa didn't respond right away. She appeared to be considering something.

"This isn't working" she told him simply. Seifer's eyes widened.

"Huh?" he asked unintelligently.

"If this is going to work out, you're going to have to do everything I say, whatever I say."

"Hey!" Seifer barked, finally catching on. "You can't make me into that Ikeike. I do what I want, unlike the lapdog _you're_ used to."

"Yeah, well… that's got to stop" the girl challenged. "You see, there's a rule I have. Whenever I drink, I always drink the last drop." She narrowed her eyes. "_Nobody_ takes the last drink away from me."

"Oh, well…" Seifer began but found her pressed against him before he could find anything to say. Before he could think to do anything she had her face up against his. She pressed her lips against his own, parting them, dividing them, worming her way inside of him. She reached around with a single hand to play with the hair on the back of his head. That was when she noticed the first major difference. She was about to back away from the blond when she suddenly lost her balance, falling on top him. She pulled her head away from him.

"Flay…" she said slowly. "She may have had a point about you."

"What?" Seifer asked, clearly not understanding what she was talking about.

"It doesn't matter" the girl replied indifferently. "You'll do."

"You make me feel so special" he jested.

"Don't worry about it" she assured him. "My room's upstairs… let me show you."

* * *

In the cool autumn-like air of the last days of summer, a dark blue coupé cruised through the streets of pig city, travelling under the judgemental yet watchful gaze of the fading light of the evening Dnaletsaw sky – grey as always, even without hint of rain. It had always been that way. The sky was always grey. Every single day, the sun never shone through and the skies always darkened earlier in that place.

One road blurred into another and soon the car pulled up to a driveway and stopped completely. The vehicle's headlights lingered for a while after the engine had disengaged but soon they too were shut off by the driver.

"This is it" he announced to the person beside him in the passenger seat.

"This?" she asked. "This is where you're going to live now?"

"Yeah" the driver replied. "It's not quite as nice as where we're used to but it'll be fine. It's actually designed for two people so there'll be plenty of room for me."

"Kira…?" the girl in the passenger seat enquired. "Are you _sure_ you want to stay here?"

"Why?" Kira asked the blonde beside him. "It's not _that_ bad, is it?"

"No Kira, it's not that… I mean, do you really want to live here… on your own?"

"…Yeah" Kira replied after giving the question some serious thought. "I've been living with Athrun for as long as I can remember. I think it's time I moved out. There were too many people living there anyway."

"But… fine" Cagalli conceded with a sigh. "How are you paying for all of this?" she wondered aloud.

"I had some help" the brunette admitted. "Athrun's father gave me a loan." Cagalli's amber eyes widened.

"If you didn't have the money yourself, you should have just stayed there with us." Kira shrugged the notion off.

"It's okay" he defended. "He's taking care of rent and everything. Legally, I'm still under his care so it's the same kind of arrangement."

"But he's paying more… that's unusually generous of him. What aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing" he assured her. "He just…" the boy trailed off, pausing while finding a way to rephrase his thought. "When it's time for me to start looking for a job, he wants me to come and work for his company."

"So what, he's going to deduct what you owe him from your wages? You may not wind up with enough money to live off of." Kira exhaled, responding to the girl's argument with a silent laugh.

"While not official, that's kind of what he's doing. Its fine" he said, trying to wipe the look of disbelief from the girl's features. "No matter which way you look at it, I'm getting a good deal. I have a place to stay, all the expenses are taken care of, I can finish school and study and then when it's finally time to get a job, I'm ensured employment at one of the biggest corporations in Dnaletsaw."

"Well, I suppose if you say it like that… it seems like a good idea but…"

"Don't worry so much" Kira replied light-heartedly. "It's a win-win situation."

"Yeah… I guess" Cagalli agreed, still a little uncertain.

"Let's just go in" Kira suggested, changing the subject, to which Cagalli agreed.

Kira opened the back of the car so that they could get his things out and put them into his new home. The property itself was similar to where he had stayed with Athrun. Each tenant was given a small building a little larger than a motel room as well as a small area of land to do with as they pleased – a back yard, albeit a very small one.

Together they walked up the path – both of them laden with boxes – to the nearest building, the one closest the road. This was to be Kira's new dwelling. When he got up to the door he fished the new key from his pocket. He inserted the key into the door and turned it, unlocking and opening the door to his new home.

"So?" he asked once they had stepped inside. "What do you think?" Looking around, Cagalli gave the briefest of nods.

"It's alright" she commented.

"It's got everything" Kira told her. "It's got a living room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and two bedrooms."

"Two bedrooms?" Cagalli asked rather confusedly "why two?" It was a fair question. He was planning on living here on his own, wasn't he? Why wouldn't he ask for a flat with a single room?

"They're all like this" Kira informed her. "They were all built to the same design. It's not important though" he said, brushing off the minor detail as though it were an annoying fly buzzing around him in the summer heat. "Since I'll be here on my own, I can just use the other room for storage."

"Yeah, I guess that _is_ all you'd need" Cagalli agreed. "But beside that" she said, casually changing the subject "where do you want these?" she questioned, referring to the boxes she had helped him carry in.

"Up the hall" he told her "there are the two bedrooms side-by-side. Just put them in the room on the right. I'll sort it all out later."

"Okay" she said, making her way into the room.

She walked up the hall, carrying most of the boxes. She didn't mind in the least that she had carried in most of the brunette's belongings. She was happy to help. The hallway was rather short, even in comparison to what she had been used to. Kira was right when he said it was neither as big nor as nice as Athrun's place.

Before she was finished internally commenting on the new residence, she found herself at the end of the aforementioned hallway. Juggling with the boxes in her arms, she used her knee to keep them steady while she attempted to open to door on the right.

Once having gotten it open, she stepped inside and placed the boxes on the floor. She was about to leave when something in one of the boxes caught her eye. She reached in and pulled out a medallion, examining the silver piece of jewellery. It was of a simple design but that was not what made it significant. Smiling, she reached up to the thread around her neck and pulled at it. After some tugging, she finally pulled up the medallion from beneath her shirt. She stood there for a minute or two, just smiling, holding a medallion in each hand, two copies of the same medallion.

After examining it for a moment longer, the blonde placed it carefully back in the box and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She silently made her way back down the hall, heading toward the kitchen. When she got there she noticed that Kira was in there, cooking something.

"I figured we could use a break" he told her. "I'll sort out all that stuff later tonight. Thanks for your help."

"No, don't worry about it" she replied. "I was happy to." She crossed the room and sat down at the table in the far corner and turned to him, watching him intently as he cooked. Once he was done, he put the food onto two plates and walked over to the table. He handed her a fork before sitting down with her.

"I'm sorry about having to do this tonight" he apologised to her.

"It's no problem" she assured him.

"Maybe…" Kira said. The next few moments were quiet as Kira pondered the events of the day. They ate in silence until he spoke up again, continuing the discussion. "I'm sure you wanted to be there… with all of them. I just kind of dragged you away." He finally said. Having been thinking the same thing, Cagalli knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I'm kind of sorry about that. Its Squall's first time with all of them. I just hope he isn't overwhelmed."

"Lacus is there with him" the brunette said. "If I know her, she'll probably try to stick with him but with Athrun there, that could be hard. If one of us were there then at least he'd have someone to talk to."

"I'll bet Dearka is playing the role of prankster again. Remember when you guys first let me into your circle?"

"It'll be fine" Kira assured her. "I can't see anything happening over there."

"Yeah" Cagalli nodded "you're right."

Kira watched the blonde intently as she ate the food he'd prepared. While she busied herself with devouring the meal he'd made for her, her amber eyes momentarily looked up to lock with amethyst ones. Her own ocular orbs widened as she noticed him staring at her.

"W-what is it?" she asked almost nervously. Kira continued to wordlessly watch her, the solemn mask of sincerity never once leaving his features. "What's wrong?" she asked once more, her voice growing in volume as she became increasingly anxious for some kind of answer, any kind of response.

"You heard me before… right?" Kira asked quietly. So quiet, in fact, that Cagalli wasn't completely sure she had even heard him.

"What?" she asked simply.

"Before, I said that there is room enough for two to live here."

"Oh… right" Cagalli said absentmindedly. "So… are thinking of having somebody move in with you?"

"I don't know" Kira truthfully admitted. "I was thinking about it."

"Who'd you have in mind?" the blonde asked curiously.

"I don't know" the boy shrugged, repeating his response from earlier. "Whoever needs somewhere to stay… would you want to live here for a while?" Cagalli's eyes widened and she stopped chewing the morsel of food she had just put into her mouth while she thought about what the brunette had just offered. She hastily swallowed before opening her mouth to speak.

"You mean it?" she asked, to which Kira shrugged his shoulders once more. "If you want to, you're welcome to stay." The girl merely allowed her lips to curl upward in an obvious smile and nodded her head.

"Okay" she answered joyfully.

Kira smiled in response. "We'll have to tell Athrun then" he reminded her.

"Yeah" the girl agreed.

"We'll go after you're done eating" the brunette instructed.

"But what about you?" Cagalli asked, looking over to see that Kira's plate was empty.

"Huh?" she asked, perplexed. "You're done already?" Kira merely nodded his answer to her question. Cagalli looked down; matching the brunette's silence as she quietly ate what remained of her meal.

Once she was done with eating, she helped Kira take care of the dishes and they were ready to get going.

Cagalli walked in front with the brunette following close behind. As it turned out, her worry over this night was all for nothing. She was afraid that all of Athrun's crowd gathered in one place would be a little too much for Squall to handle. She needn't have worried though. Both Kira and she would soon be there as well.

The brunette led her to the door and held it open for her, waiting for her to walk through first, before following, closing and locking it.

"Hey, Kira" Cagalli began, waiting for him to meet her eyes before continuing with her comment. "Is that really necessary? This isn't Southend, I doubt that anyone's gonna break in."

"Athrun and I are two very different people" Kira answered light-heartedly. "I know that Athrun never bothers to lock up but I'd rather not risk it." Cagalli nodded.

"If you really think about it, it's a good practice to get into. Even here in Westend it can be kind of rough. Who knows what kind of sickos are around?"

"I agree" Kira stated bluntly before turning around and walking past the blonde. Upon arriving at the location of the car, he walked around to the passenger side door and opened it, chivalrously holding it open for the girl who blushed slightly as she approached, clearly being unaccustomed to such gracious conduct.

"You know Kira" she timidly objected "you don't have to do all this for me."

"Do what?" the boy patiently asked.

"You know, all of this… inviting me to stay, cooking for me, holding doors open for me…" Kira grinned and motioned for her to enter the car. She did so, amber eyes never leaving amethyst for even the slimmest instant.

"It's nothing, _really_" the brunette replied before closing the door, nonchalantly dismissing the blonde's protest as though it were nothing – which of course, it was – there was nothing exquisitely extravagant about common courtesy after all. He brushed the thought aside, walked around to the driver's side of the vehicle and sat in his respective seat. He turned to her and offered another smile as he started the car.

"Kira… I'm serious about this" Cagalli told him. "You have _got_ to be the most chivalrous person in all of Dnaletsaw. There aren't many guys like you around anymore."

"I somehow doubt that, Cagalli" the brunette modestly dismissed.

"No, I mean it. Most guys you meet – take the guys at school for instance – are total pricks… but not you. You're different." Kira merely shrugged her comment off and pulled the car onto the road, shifted into first gear and accelerated his way to Athrun's residence.

Cagalli had to wonder how Athrun would take the news. God knew he didn't like to lose anything. Now she was moving out of his residence and in with Kira. She had not discussed this with him at all. It was nothing other than a spur-of-the-moment invitation – one that she had accepted without the slightest shadow of hesitation. Kira was moving out tonight and she was supposed to help him – help him, not stay with him. It was to be expected that she'd be away from the clique for the night but to move out permanently; would Athrun take this as an even bigger wound to his pride?

"Something wrong?" Kira asked her, snapping the blonde out of her daze.

"Huh?" she asked dully and dopily as though waking from a slumber. Kira's lip curled as he grinned his response.

"You've been pretty quiet lately."

"Have I?" the blonde asked, not having noticed.

"You usually talk my ear off but… you've been pretty quiet ever since we went to Noissap actually."

"Oh, right. I guess I've just been thinking a lot lately. You know, wondering about Squall… and Athrun."

Kira nodded. They were almost there.

The brunette slowed the car, pulling it up the curb and bringing it to a complete stop. He opened the door and stepped outside with Cagalli doing the same like a mirror image. They both turned and simultaneously closed their respective door – with Cagalli's causing slightly more noise as it hit the vehicle's metal frame.

Both of them walked side-by-side as they started up the long driveway, the same driveway that Squall and Lacus had traversed earlier that day, at the point when their day made the transition from semi-peaceful to resting on the borders of hell.

Once inside, the sight before him was not unexpected. Yzak sat on one end of the room – in charge of the music. Nicol sat at the other end reading a book and Squall sat in the middle of the room on the floor, minding his own business with Dearka next to him, chatting with a big grin plastered over his face – most probably stringing joke after joke of immature entandra and one liner. The brunette couldn't help but give an amused sigh. He did this every time someone new entered the Clique. It was always the same. Perhaps it was because he saw them as new ears to try out his old material on.

"Kira-San, Cagalli-Chan!" Nicol called out, looking up from his book to greet them. Kira and Cagalli each gave their replied greetings to the pale-skinned boy with a head full of thick curly green hair.

"Hmph" Yzak snorted in turn. "I thought you two were out of here for the night."

"Yeah well…" Kira explained "we kind of need to talk to Athrun." Yzak's lip curled into a sneer.

"Yeah, well… good luck with that, he's got other things on his mind." As he spoke the words, Kira's amethyst eyes widened, causing Yzak to smirk widen. "I wouldn't disturb them if I were you." Kira turned around and walked up to Squall. The way the despondent brunette looked up at him, it reminded Kira of a sad old dog about to be put to sleep. He had to wonder how one person could such a large burden. Metaphorically speaking, his back should have broken, perhaps it already had.

"Where's Lacus?" he asked, kneeling down so he could talk to Squall without having to look down on him.

"She… went with Athrun" the boy softly replied.

"Did they go upstairs?" Squall nodded. Kira sighed and turned to Cagalli. "Damn…" he muttered to himself. "We'd better go up there."

"You sure?" Cagalli asked.

"Yeah, It'd be best to get this over with" the brunette replied. "Come on" he said, walking toward Athrun's room." Cagalli turned to face Squall before following him.

"You coming?" she asked, offering the invitation and then leaving right after, implying that she did not need a verbal response.

"Lacus has been up there alone with Athrun for a while now, right? How much do you wanna bet she's not all flushed and out of breath when you get up there?" Dearka joked, once Cagalli was out of earshot. Squall ignored him and followed after the blonde.

"I'll take that bet" Yzak said, crossing the room.

"How much?" Dearka asked.

"Two thousand."

"Why not make it thirty?"

"Thirty thousand?"

"Sounds good." The two shook hands on it, making the wager final.

"You know, you guys shouldn't talk about Clyne-San like that" Nicol serenely interjected, still reading his book. Rather than reply, Yzak and Dearka merely exchanged amused glances and smirked to one-another.

Kira resolutely walked to the top of the stairs on his way to Athrun's bedroom. This place had two levels and was almost double the size of Kira's new lodging but then again, that smaller place was only built for two while Athrun usually had no less than four house-guests staying with him at any one time. It made sense that this place would be bigger. The brunette couldn't be certain but logic existed to state that Athrun's place would probably have to cost twice as much for the rent alone.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Kira stopped and faced the room in question to find that – to no great surprise, considering who his blue-haired friend was – the door was shut.

"Kira… are you sure you want to intrude?" the blonde asked him. He looked over and saw her beside him, noting that Squall was trailing behind her like a faithful dog. Kira didn't answer her and instead lightly rapped his knuckles against the closed door.

There was no response. Kira tried knocking again, only to be met with the same silence.

"Let's just come back tomorrow" the blonde suggested.

"I'd have preferred to do this now" Kira replied.

"Who's out there?" Athrun asked from the other side of the door.

"It's Kira" the brunette stated. "I'm coming in."

"No you're not" agued the bluenette's reply. Kira's eyes narrowed at his friends resistance. He'd never done anything like that before. The brunette tried to force the door open, pushing his weight against it a good three times before giving up.

The door was clearly locked.

Kira was about to leave when there was a rattling sound before the door eventually opened. "What is it?" Athrun asked.

"I'm moving out" Cagalli explained, pushing in front of Kira before anyone else had a chance to speak. Athrun froze dead at the news, his eyes stuck wide open. "I'm sorry to interrupt what was probably a private conversation… but we felt that we should tell you."

"We?"

"Kira and I… I'm moving in with him." With that, she turned and left, retreating back to the living room with Athrun chasing behind her.

"Cagalli-Chan, wait!" he called out.

Through all the commotion, Kira slipped into the room and sat down on Athrun's bed, close next to the pink haired girl, lest she feel alone.

"I'm sorry" the brunette apologised. Lacus narrowed her eyes.

"For what?" she asked.

"Cagalli and I, we didn't… interrupt or anything did we?" Lacus' face scored a strong blush at the brunette's insinuation and she instantly looked away. Through the commotion, no-one noticed the other brunette lost in the hall, unsure of where to go. With his existence forgotten entirely, Squall went unnoticed as he walked back through the hall and down the stairs. This place was not his home.

* * *

The neutral dull grey skies of Dnaletsaw looked the same – colour-wise – during the day as they did at night. There was almost no difference, save for the additional light that managed to poke through the clouds to bathe the people below in its cool illumination.

Despite summer being officially over, the climate was still relatively warm and would take a while to change. Autumn and spring really were the generally favoured seasons by most people but that was hardly a surprising prospect, given the temperature-range of the city during its brutal winters and scorching summers. Dnaletsaw weather could be hotter than the United States and Colder than that of the British Capital. While each person may have been entitled to his or her own preference, it was a striking climate for one to grow accustomed to.

As nature made its gradual descent toward autumn, a summer breeze could be felt soaring through the city. It was a sign to inform school-attending teenagers to live the most that they could with the limited time they had left, for soon they would be trapped within the restrictions of the new school year. It was a sign that went unheeded amongst the youthful sleeping masses.

For those inside caraway Mansion, this was no different. Basked in the light that dared intrude into her room, the heiress of the Caraway family fortune tightened the seal around her closed eyes and gave the quietest of groans as she began to slip out of her peaceful slumber.

She tilted her head and lifted her hand to feel the arm draped casually over her. Keeping her eyes closed, she pushed herself flush against the chest of the body behind her and allowed herself the first smirk of the day at the way Seifer didn't seem to care how or where he woke up. It didn't faze him in the least that Rinoa still lived in her father's house or that he would soon be coming home sometime that morning.

Sure, that fool Caraway had stumbled across his daughter and her bitch sharing a bed before but the dumbass thought nothing of it. They'd been known to do that on occasion ever since they were little kids. It was as though Caraway was too busy to care – or perhaps he'd deluded himself into thinking that Squall was like a eunuch. After all, denial often went hand-in-hand with vanity. That fool was so obsessed with himself that he didn't take much notice of what was going on within the confines of his own home. The gullible letch probably thought his daughter was still a virgin or assuming that he _was _smarter than he looked, he didn't seem to care one way or the other. If Rinoa were as weak and sensitive as some, she'd probably feel hurt at the prospect but in all honesty, she seriously didn't give a shit what that old bastard thought of her.

_Speak of the devil_ – the girl thought as she heard the sound of his car as he slowly reversed up the driveway and parked in the double garage. Caraway would soon be stepping inside his mansion and as if following a script, the sound of the door being opened inevitably followed.

The man needn't have checked to see if the door were locked or not. Rinoa certainly hadn't bothered to fasten it the night before. She never did. Her father likely figured she was too lazy to bother but seriously, what was the point? What kind of desperado would have guts enough to break into Caraway Mansion? Unwelcome visitors never even came near the gate uninvited.

Rinoa closed her eyes and carefully listened for her father's footsteps. Was he coming closer? Would he peek into her room in some vain act of parental duty? As his footsteps grew louder the only conclusion the dark haired girl come up with was a loud definitive 'yes.'

With careful precision, she repositioned herself and kicked out at her bed-mate's torso with both feet, effectively ejecting him out from his place beside her. This in turn caused him to land hard against the floor and wake up with a start just as the bedroom door was pushed open – thank god Seifer had retained his underwear or the entire situation would have escalated to one vastly more awkward.

Caraway took one look in the room and gave a judgemental sigh.

"It amazes me how you kids these days can simply waste your lives away." When he didn't leave as expected, Rinoa and Seifer looked to him so he could get on with the lecture that was sure to come. "You know, you really should be up _before_ nine AM."

"Oh yeah, because you were up at the crack of dawn every morning when you were our age, weren't you?" Rinoa cracked dryly.

"I was, as it happens" Caraway brusquely retorted.

"Paper route?" his daughter asked, feigning interest.

"If your ignorance is genuine…" Caraway began, addressing the girl's inevitable eye-roll "then you should know that when I came of age I abruptly left the futile sham of school-life, trading it for something of meaning and served my time in the military. I served six years and when I was discharged, it was time for me to take over the family business, as you will one day… if you ever manage to get your act together."

"Yeah, so… is there a point to this or did you just come in here to tell me that?" Caraway gave an exasperated sigh.

"Very well, if it is your desire to waste your life, merely sleeping it away, I have no intention to stop you."

"Good" Rinoa replied as if making it final. "So…" she added as an afterthought. "Are you going to bed now?" She smirked at her father's undeniable hypocrisy. The fact that he worked well into the early mornings and had to sleep during the day only made mocking his logic too easy.

"No." Rinoa's smug expression quickly faded when she heard an answer other than the one she was expecting. "I'm heading out again."

"Don't let me stop you" Rinoa slothfully interjected. Caraway once again ignored his daughter's smart mouth.

"I have a business conference of which I must attend. I'll be out of town for a while and won't be back at the house until Saturday." Rinoa nodded to show she acknowledged and understood the news but then noted that her father had remained rooted to the spot rather than simply leaving as she had expected him to.

"What is it?" she asked rather crudely. "I hope you're not expecting me to hug you goodbye or some shit like that." Caraway narrowed his eyes at Rinoa's language.

"Of course not" he coldly dismissed her. In his eyes, such contact was inappropriate and more importantly – it served no purpose whatsoever. It was a blatant waste of time and as all in the business world knew, time was money. To waste time was to waste money and to waste money was an unforgivable sin. To buy knick-knacks was one thing but to drop ten-thousand Gil notes into a garbage disposal unit was another thing entirely. If one was not making money, then one was merely wasting life, allowing it to slip through one's fingertips, along with the opportunities that it presented. He had something else on his mind. Wordlessly walking toward the door, the proud man paused before leaving the room entirely and craned his neck around to look back at them. "In future, I'd advise against having your friends sleep with you in such a fashion. The way you treated Squall was one thing but having others sleep next to you only serves to make you look cheap and tacky. I will not have someone who carries the name 'Caraway' giving off that impression. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yeah, whatever" Rinoa said, blatantly dismissing another of her father's dull gruel servings without a single thought. With all being said, Caraway swiftly exited his daughter's room and closed the door behind him. "God, what an asshole!" the dark haired-girl complained once the professional jackass was out of earshot.

"Having your friends sleep next to you only serves to make you look cheap and tacky" Seifer quoted, being sure to annunciate so as to copy Caraway's mannerisms perfectly as though in a mocking form of admiration. "What about Squall? Does he even know what you used to get up to?"

"He's got no fuckin' idea!" Rinoa exclaimed, bursting into a laughing fit.

"Oh god, Rinoa, you were right about him. He's fucking clueless!"

"You heard what he said though, right?" Rinoa asked, an opportunistic smirk creeping its way up her sly features. Seifer matched her wicked grin.

"Of course" he replied. "He won't be coming back until the weekend."

"He won't be here" Rinoa reiterated. "We have the house to ourselves _all_ week."

"An entire week" Seifer commented, drawing out his words for emphasis. "You think you can survive that long alone with me?" Rinoa raised an eyebrow and gave him a condescending expression.

"I hardly think that's a question you need to ask" she told him smugly "and besides, we may not be alone at all."

"Huh?" Seifer asked confusedly "why not? Who else is gonna be here?"

"Possibly Flay."

"Really? I got the impression that she didn't exactly approve of me." Rinoa smirked.

"Forget about it, don't even worry about it. It's not even worth thinking about. She'll come around in due time, take my word for it. She's just mourning the loss of her beloved pet – or should I say _our_ pet – as weak-minded emotional types often do. She'll get over it soon enough."

"If you say so" Seifer dependently agreed, believing her every word as a child would cling to the narrative of a story.

"I do… and she will" Rinoa answered as though she knew how everything would fit into place as though it were a simple-to-solve puzzle, one that she had solved many times before. "Besides, I can't have you worried about something as trivial as that, can I? That just wouldn't do" she announced, sitting up in bed as the sheet fell from her body, exposing her bare torso. "That just wouldn't do at all.

"Trivial?" Seifer asked incredulously, his eyebrows furrowing in thought, internally debating her words. How could the way people see him be trivial? That just didn't make sense. A person's image was everything. It was all they had, wasn't it? How the hell could something that important as that be dismissed as _trivial_?

Rinoa stretched out her legs, swinging them around and holding them out in the air over the side of the mattress before allowing them to float gracefully to the ground like feathers caught in a subtle breeze. With two eyes solely on her, she stood and walked over to where Seifer lay on his back. She stood over him, giving him an unobstructed view of her entirely bare body before slowly lowering herself until she sat, straddling his stomach with nothing between them, no barrier to block their skin-on-skin contact.

She softly placed her palm against the naked skin of his chest and smoothly moved it up toward his face, lowering herself closer to him as she did until she was almost lying on top of him.

"I'll need you to cheer her up, Seifer. Show her that you can put Squall to shame. Satiate your desires and lay to rest her anxieties. Prove to me that my faith in you is justified."

"Wait… you want me to…?"

"Don't tell me you're nervous, Seifer. You were fine with just me – if not a little inexperienced" the girl added with a slight smirk.

"But… this is a relationship of some sort, isn't it? I mean, if anyone asks, I can tell them that you're my girlfriend, right?"

"Do you want to be able to tell them that?" she teased.

"Well… yeah."

"Then you may."

"But then… why are you advising me to cheat on you… not that I'm complaining but still…" The girl's lustful smirk only grew.

"I can understand your confusion. It's not normal… but seriously, what _is_ normal anyway? What most define as _normal,_ _I_ define as boring."

"I guess… but if you tell me not to be faithful, how can I expect _you_ to be?"

"You can't, and I advise you not to try because trust me, I have no intention of remaining faithful to you… and besides, having you sleep around will only benefit me in the long run."

"How?" Rinoa's expression turned from one of lust to one of scorn.

"Because trust me, Seifer. You _need_ the practice. If Flay does decide to stay here during the week, you're gonna have to take care of her as well."

"Wait… what are you…?"

"Tell me Seifer, do you think you can handle us both?"

"What… you mean… at the same time?!!"

"You came late into the fold and if I am to teach you everything that Squall knows, asking stupid questions will only prolong the process." Her mask changed again, this time to one of impatience, then lifted to one of amusement. "To tell you the truth, I never pictured you as the shy, timid type."

"I'm not shy!" Seifer demanded "but… hell. Even by my standards… maybe I don't give that guy enough credit. Just what the fuck _did_ you guys get up to?"

"And now you understand. Squall isn't as innocent as he makes out to be." With all being said, Rinoa quickly stood and exited the room.

"Hey!" Seifer called out. "Where are you going?"

"Bathroom" Rinoa replied and left without another sound. The next thing Seifer heard was the water running in the bathroom as though someone were taking a shower.

Seifer lay still for a while as he listened to the sound of running water obviously coming from the direction of the bathroom. Who knew how long she'd be in there for. Some people took forever in the bathroom. He wondered whether Rinoa was one of those people. He hoped to god that she wasn't but if she was, it would give him ample opportunity to snoop around her house like a nosy neighbour who just so happened to find a key and just couldn't help him or herself.

The blond man got up from his position on the floor and presumed to get dressed in the same clothes he had been wearing the night before – which consisted of a black t-shirt, blue jeans and grey hoodie.

Once he had dressed himself, he set out to take a look about the place. So far he had only seen the living room and the hallways leading from it, to Rinoa's bedroom. As he walked down the hall he noticed numerous family portraits featuring a smiling girl with shoulder-length, jet-black hair sitting beside a happy boy with short brown hair.

"Hmm" Seifer sneered. "Anyone would think they were brother and sister or something, judging from this." There were many portraits of the two at various ages, almost like a hall of ageing or something running along the hall – some of which were school photographs and in those that weren't, Seifer noticed something odd. Rinoa's father didn't appear in any of these photographs, save for one that wasn't even hanging on the wall.

He found it – funnily enough – hiding behind a bookshelf. He quietly pulled it out and laid it out on the floor. Standing over it he examined it closely, taking in each of the five people. This was the closest thing to a real family portrait that would ever be found within the walls of Caraway Mansion.

In the centre sat the children from all of the other photographs but in this one, they were much younger. _This must have been taken before they even started school. I didn't even know they'd known each other that long. Just how long has Squall been a Caraway anyway? Unless… It couldn't be that they really _are_ brother and sister, could it?_

"_What most define as normal, I define as boring."_

"Fuck…" Seifer muttered under his breath. This was a startling revelation. People used to go around saying things like 'Squall and Rinoa are related' but wasn't that just schoolyard gossip? Rumours? Bullshit? It was, right? There was no way Rinoa would stoop so low as to fuck her own brother, right?

_I mean, messing around with a close personal friend is one thing but fucking incest?!! Really?!!_ Perhaps it was true and if that were truly the case then Rinoa was clearly a bigger slut than he thought. He knew she was a far-shy away from innocent but this… this was a big deal. This was a _big_ fucking deal.

"You always rifle through other people's shit?" Rinoa asked. Seifer's eyes snapped open wide and he instantly turned around to see her walking in his direction. He didn't even think she'd be out of the shower yet.

"I thought you'd still be in the bathroom" he informed her.

"Oh" Rinoa said sarcastically, feigning understanding. "So you didn't think you'd get caught, that's alright then." Seifer grinned sheepishly.

"So why was this big ass photo hidden behind a bookshelf anyway?"

"Dunno" Rinoa truthfully responded, looking down at the photograph with interest. "I've never seen this before. I didn't even know it was here."

"So how long ago do you think this was taken?"

"I have no idea. It's gotta be at least ten years ago."

"So… uh…" Seifer mumbled, unsure of how to ask the question that was plaguing him. For the first time in his life, he was actually at a loss for words. Rinoa noticed this and shot him a sideways glance.

"What is it?" she asked. "Spit or swallow."

"Huh?"

"If you've got something to say then spit it out, otherwise swallow it down and don't let it bother me again."

"Oh, right. I was just wondering. Who exactly _is_ Squall to you?"

"What the fuck kind of stupid question is that? Don't you already know?"

"Well, yeah. I thought I did but… is it true that he's your brother?"

"So what if he is?" Rinoa snapped.

"Really?" Seifer asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah, we're twins, so what?" Seifer's eyes widened. "What of it?"

"Well…"

"Don't go fuckin' telling anyone that either, not that I care what anyone thinks of me… but why do you care, anyway?"

"Well, considering what you used to do with him… don't you think it's kind of weird?"

"No. Geez Seifer, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were a virgin up until last night."

"No, hell no. You know I wasn't."

"Then what's the big deal?

"Well… is there anything you _wouldn't_ fuck?"

"Rinoa shrugged.

"Aw god, you'll be telling me you've fucked you're dog next." Rinoa's lip curled upward.

"Well…" she began "considering Angelo's female and has no dick, the thought isn't all that worth considering."

"And if you had a male dog?"

"I did. He died." Seifer's eyes widened.

"…and?" Rinoa smirked.

"Fuck you're gullible" she laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you actually _believe_ all the fucked up things people say about me."

"Wait… you mean…?"

"Squall and I aren't really related… not by blood at least."

"Then what the fuck were you doing just now?!! Why the fuck did you have me believing that he was?!!" Rinoa didn't bother to hold back her laughter.

"To see if you'd bite" she replied. "I just fed you shit strait from my ass crack and you ate it up!"

"I thought it was just a rumour but then this photo…" Rinoa nodded.

"I know what you mean. Squall's been around ever since I can remember. Adults used to say that the two of us spent so much time together we may as well have been brother and sister. We actually are from a certain viewpoint, seeing as we more or less adopted him. He has the Caraway name but that's it. We used to be friends… until I found a better use for the bitch."

"So these two are your parents?" Seifer asked, pointing out the adults standing directly behind the two children in the picture. The proud black-haired man standing behind Rinoa could only be her father and the attractive pale-skinned black-haired young woman in the red dress behind Squall must have been the mother of the family. "You take after you're mother" he commented.

"I should hope so" Rinoa replied. "If I thought I was going to grow up to be an uptight old fart I would have killed myself a long time ago."

"So who's this other guy, is he an uncle or something?" Seifer questioned, referring to the fifth and final member of the family portrait, a tall man with pale skin and long strait black hair."

"I… don't actually know" Rinoa admitted. "I don't remember him at all."

"How can you not remember someone?" Seifer asked.

"If you can't remember something then it probably wasn't important. Who cares, let's go."

"Where?"

"Northend West" Rinoa replied.

"Okay" Seifer replied, moving to put the large framed photograph back where he had found it "but don't you want to get something to eat first?" he asked her.

"We'll get something while we're out… or do you feel like making some food?" she asked him flatly.

"Me?" the blond asked. "You're kidding, right? That's woman's work."

"Yeah? Well I'm not fuckin' cooking so you'd better get used to eating out Seifer because you're going to be doing a lot of it over the next week." Seifer froze where he was, sending the girl a sideways glance.

"You meant that in the 'going out to a restaurant' way, right?" he asked.

"Why, what other way could I have meant it" Rinoa enquired in the vein of an innocent young child.

"Ah… never mind" the blond conceded, putting the photograph out of sight and leading the way outside.

On the front lawn of Caraway Mansion, adjacent to the driveway were two cars were sitting side-by-side – a red coupe' and a white sedan – Rinoa's and Seifer's cars respectively.

"Are we taking my car?" the blond man asked, to which Rinoa shrugged.

"Actually, I prefer to drive."

"You sure?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" the girl asked curtly.

"You drank a lot last night." Once more, Rinoa merely shrugged.

"No more than usual" she stated dismissively.

"Even so" Seifer argued "Are you sure you're okay to drive? Traces of alcohol could still show up in your breath. What if some stupid ass cop stops you at a checkpoint or something? I'm surprised you're not completely hung over."

"I never get hangovers. I don't know what it is… and besides, you were drinking too" Rinoa reminded him.

"Yeah, but not nearly as much as you."

"It doesn't matter what happens to me, my family name will keep me out of trouble. It's really the only reason why I don't plan on getting it changed. If worse comes to worse, I can just pay any dipshit off."

"And say you run into a pig that doesn't accept bribes? "

"What, a strait cop in this city? That's a bad joke."

"I'm serious, Rinoa. I don't really care either way so it's up to you. Are you sure you wanna risk it?"

"Seriously, Seifer. What the fuck is _with_ you today? It's like you're trying to play the part of a protective boyfriend or some shit."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you used to be so carefree and fun. Now you're acting like a total fucking bitch."

For the second time that day, Seifer was dumbstruck. What the fuck was wrong with him? Seifer Almasy didn't take that kind of shit from _anyone_. What was so different with this person? Why the hell was he allowing her to walk all over him like this? Before he even had a chance to respond, Rinoa had climbed into the driver's seat of her sporty red coupe' and was waiting impatiently for him.

"So I guess we're taking your car?" he joshed, stating the obvious as he sat down in the passenger's side seat.

"Wow, I never knew how smart you were" Rinoa replied in mock amazement, playing along with his joke. "You're vastly superior intellect is _soo_ intimidating."

With that, she started the car's engine and sped into, then down the driveway in reverse, violently swinging the car around once she got onto the road; shifting into first-gear and flooring the accelerator, pushing the car as fast as it would go.

"So is there anywhere in particular you want to go?" Seifer casually asked her.

"I was just going to head for North-West Arcade" Rinoa answered while shifting up to the next gear.

"NW Arcade…" Seifer repeated. NW Arcade was the most modern shopping mall in the entire city. As such, it was a popular hangout for the descendents of wealthy families.

When the car got to the NW Arcade Rinoa left it in the multi-story indoor parking lot, a large building consisting of floor after floor of identical parking basement situated directly beside the mall itself.

Once having found a space in which to park the two teenagers headed to the elevator and down to the ground floor. They headed into the main building and walked freely throughout the mall which – as always – was packed. Monday mornings – it seemed – were every bit as busy as Saturdays. Why that was, was anyone's guess. The majority of people in Dnaletsaw worked standard, Monday to Friday, nine to five jobs. Then again, on this day, all high school students save for freshmen were out of school. Perhaps that explained it.

Rinoa was sure that was it. It was strange then, that they had been walking for a while now and had not run into anyone from Dnaletsaw Central High. She was about to comment on it when she felt Seifer nudge her side.

"Look who it is" he said. She looked around and noticed Flay. She called out to the redhead, who hesitated at first but then began walking in their direction.

"You wanna get something to eat?" Rinoa asked her, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Ah… sure" Flay replied and the three walked together in the direction of the food court.

* * *

Squall gradually came out of his light sleep feeling unrested and groggy. He peeled open his eyes and allowed them to focus on the wall beside him. Since he hadn't been told about the sleeping arrangements he had spent the night on the floor out of the way in the corner of the living room. To some, it may not have seemed like the most ideal or appealing place to sleep but for Squall, the floor was accommodating enough. Whenever Rinoa had a friend stay the night, Squall would usually have to forfeit his own bed for the hospitality of the guest. The one exception however, was Flay. She would stay the night literally every Friday and the three of them would find ways to share the two beds between them.

Squall's memories were not ones he was necessarily proud of, nor would he openly tell others about them. He was sure that others in his position would happily brag about their frequent sexual encounters with not only one but _two_ different people. Hell, most guys Squall's age would happily tell all about what they had done with such degrees of pride.

Squall was _not_ most guys. To be used in such a way sickened him. He was used, abused and thrown away. For all intents and purposes, he was nothing more than a masturbatory toy – a mere sex doll.

He sat up with a start at hearing the sound of someone in the kitchen. Squall didn't know what time it was so it made sense that someone might be up already. There was also the possibility that some of the people here could be early risers. He looked over in that direction but couldn't see anything. It was obvious that someone else was up and it didn't really matter who it was. Squall was certain that all of these people felt the same way about him so had no preferences to whom he would want to see first.

The brunette wordlessly rose to his feet and delicately sauntered in the direction of the disturbance. Despite convincing himself that he didn't care whom it was, deep down, he was secretly hoping for it to be either Kira or Cagalli. He wasn't sure why but for some reason he felt more at ease with those two than anyone else. His time with Lacus in Northend East was peaceful as well – but after all the arguments they'd had since, he was sure that she hated him.

As he walked through the door he was greeted by Kira who appeared to be in the middle of preparing breakfast for everyone.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I woke you up" Kira apologised.

"No" Squall replied, shaking his head. "I was awake anyway."

"Oh, right" Kira said. Squall took a look at all the food on the bench, then back to the other brunette.

"Do you _always_ cook for everyone?" he asked.

"Ah, well, yeah. I've always done it."

"It's the same with me" Squall empathised. "I used to do all the cooking for the Caraways. I used to do _all_ the housework for them, actually. It's like I was their butler or maid or something."

"That's not a maid" Yzak interjected, entering the room. "Those are the duties of a housewife." Squall looked from Yzak's sneering face to Kira's apologetic smile.

"Well maybe that's what I am" Squall replied. "Perhaps that's what I was, Rinoa's wife."

"It's not so bad" Kira optimistically argued. "Look at it this way, _someone_ has to do it."

Lacus, who was about to enter the kitchen also, froze stiff at those words, they seemed oh-so similar to the ones Athrun had used the day before.

"_I just kind of dumped him on you… but look at it this way. Someone has to take him. It's like you're doing the world a favour by taking the helpless loser off their hands."_

"As for me" Kira continued "I don't mind. I actually enjoy it. I _like_ to cook."

"_You_ would" Yzak sneered. "It's no surprise you two get on so well together."

"What is it this time Yzak?" Dearka's disembodied voice asked before he followed it into the room, also making an appearance. Apparently, everyone was now up. "Are the two resident girly-boys getting a little too friendly?"

"Yeah, that's it exactly" Yzak scorned.

Squall gave a depressive sigh. This was going to be a long day – he could tell.

After they had all finished eating together the teenagers had gone off in their own directions. Yzak and Dearka had gone outside. Cagalli and Nicol had each gone off somewhere else, on their own. Lacus sat by herself in the living room while Kira busied himself with cleaning up after the meal they had all eaten.

Squall was just about to give the other brunette a helping hand when Athrun called him away. The depreciative brunette relinquished his pursuits of helpfulness and followed what seemed like his new master's call into the living room where he found him sitting beside Lacus, silently gesturing for him to sit down and join them on the couch.

He sat down next to Athrun while Lacus sat on the bluenette's other side.

"I wanted to talk with you both today" he said, addressing the people on either side of him. "As you both no-doubt know, Both Kira and Cagalli have decided to move out, meaning there is ample room for another person to move in." Squall's eyes widened. Had they been talking about this the night before? Did Lacus want him out of her house? Truthfully, Squall couldn't say that he blamed the pink-haired girl for wanting him gone but even so, he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel at least slightly rejected.

He looked to Lacus to see her opinion on this, just to see whether or not his suspicions were founded but looking at her face, he got nothing. She wore a mask of perfect serenity. He didn't know if she was doing it on purpose or if she was just thinking about something.

"So you want me to move in with you?" he asked the bluenette.

"Would you consider it?" Athrun asked. "Kira is moving out and I couldn't help but notice the way you helped him out in the kitchen. You seemed to know what you were doing and with Kira gone we could use someone who knows how to cook."

"In that case" Squall mumbled at a level that was barely audible "I'm surprised you didn't ask _her_ to move in with you."

"Oh, I did" Athrun replied, apparently knowing exactly what Squall was talking about. "That's what we were discussing last night. I _did_ ask her if she'd like to move in but she refused." Squall's eyes widened once more.

"If that's the case…" Squall said, making a decision now that he had a better understanding of the situation "I'll move in with you guys."

"Great!" Athrun said, clapping his hands together enthusiastically as he jumped up to his feet and walked outside. Squall remained seated and looked at Lacus who was staring intently at him and similarly to before, he had no way of telling what was on her mind.

"I assume you're happy with this arrangement?" he asked her in an emotionless monotone, looking away from her.

"It doesn't matter" she replied coldly, getting up to follow Athrun. Squall turned his head so he didn't have to witness her exit.

"Whatever" he muttered. That was when Kira came out of the kitchen and stood before him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Squall's perplexity was apparent and it shone on his face.

"Go where?" he asked.

"We're all going out. The others are by the van already. I saw them out the kitchen window. You're coming too, right?" Squall shrugged. "Come on, you may as well. I mean what else are you gonna do all day, stay here by yourself? Besides, you're moving in right? You may as well get to know everyone better."

_How did he know? – _Squall wondered. _Why the hell was I the last one to find out that I'd decide to move in with them all?_ Squall gave a silent nod and motioned for Kira to lead the way.

Squall followed Kira out the door and down the gravel driveway toward Athrun's van. The vehicle stood on the road, gleaming grey in the sunlight. Squall climbed into the van while Kira joined Cagalli in his own car. When Squall sat down in the empty three-person seat at the back of the van, it was filled nearly to standard capacity; although if passengers squished in together, the van could be made to accommodate nine or ten people. Once everyone had sat down and fastened their seat belts, Dearka – who was closest – slid the side door shut and Athrun started the van, driving toward Northend East.

Squall was expecting the ride to be over faster than it really was. He'd never been in a van or bus before in his life. He'd been driven everywhere by Caraway and Rinoa – whose car's had exceedingly fast rates of acceleration. Rinoa's and Takumi's cars were both surprisingly fast for their size and even Lacus' chauffeur/butler Walter was a fast driver, despite the stereotype of men his age. In comparison with all that, this van seemed like a brick being hauled by a giant slug.

Other than that slight analysis on Squall's part, the journey was about as eventful as the trip back from Lake Noissap.

Once they had arrived, Athrun had parked the van in NE East Plaza's parking garage and they all split up, agreeing to meet later on at a prearranged time. As such, Squall had three hours with which to wander around aimlessly on his own. _So much for getting to know everyone_ – he mused, not that he minded of course. It wasn't as though he'd have more fun tagging along with the people who clearly didn't want him around in the first place.

He was seriously regretting the decision he'd made to come here. He simply didn't see the point in shopping. Sure, maybe it was worthwhile to look around if one was willing to buy something but for a very poor someone – strike that – for a very _worthless_ someone with an even net worth of zero, as in an ultimately hopeless someone who has _nothing_, it was about as useful and fulfilling as watching paint dry or metal rust.

He was sure that the wealthy found this a very relaxing and enjoyable activity – a social one too, if they had friends with them. Friends and money – that's what this activity required. Those were the two prerequisites required to make this dull activity fun. Those were the things the brunette was lacking, friends and money. That was what Squall didn't have.

Squall was about to turn away from the seemingly endless string of clothing and beauty shops when a certain pink-haired girl – the only one he knew – crossed his vision. As with the other times he had caught a glimpse of her pale face that day, she wore a distant expression and there was no way of telling exactly what was on her mind.

Before he could make himself scarce, their eyes locked together and he froze in place, unable to move. There was something about those periwinkle orbs of hers. It was as though they were excreting determination as she walked toward the brunette.

"Uh… hi" she said awkwardly. Squall muttered his inaudible reply, still unable to break eye-contact. "I… I wanted to talk with you… you know, about you moving out and everything."

"Whatever" Squall uttered dismissively, he was about to walk away when Lacus hastily spoke again.

"Do you really want to?" she asked. Squall shrugged.

"You heard him, right?" Squall asked, referring to Athrun. "They want someone to cook for them. They offered you a place there but you refused. Because of that, I'm the best they have. I'll be the first to admit that I can't cook for shit but at least I'll have a position. At least I'll have a purpose."

"But that's precisely my point" Lacus argued determinedly. "They only want you so you can cook for them. They just want to use you for whatever merits you might have. Can't you see that?"

"So what?!!" Squall challenged. "It wouldn't be the first time, would it? If I serve a purpose then maybe they'll have a reason to keep me around. You're the perfect hostess _without_ help. I had no reason to stay with you. That's why it never would have worked out at your place."

"But… you were supposed to be my guest" Lacus said dejectedly, speaking in naught but a whisper.

"Exactly my point" Squall replied, reverting back to his usual quiet voice.

"So you want your skills to be put to good use?"

"I don't have any skills… but that's essentially what I mean."

"Then you could still stay with me. If you want to be helpful then you could help me out when Walter's not around."

"I'm nobodies servant" Squall spat darkly, his words once more gilded with a acidic edge, much like they had been the last time the two of them were alone together. "I've already endured that kind of life and I have _no_ wish to be subjected to it again."

"Then…" Lacus stated, her eyes beginning to water at her own inability to get through to him. "What _do_ you want?"

"I thought you'd be happy!" Squall spat, glaring icy daggers directly into Lacus' soul. "I'll finally be out of your hair. Isn't that what you wanted?!!" Lacus remained wordless and shut her eyes tightly. She shook her head so violently that it caused her hair to thrash about, the motion overpowering gravity's potent pull.

"I wanted you to be our friend but everything's wrong. Everything I say and do always seems to offend and upset you. If you were living with me, you _know _I'd treat you with more kindness and respect than anyone else has. We'd be equals and share all the work and everything."

"Why are you offering me this?" Squall asked her suspiciously. "I'm not your problem anymore. Athrun took me off your hands."

"Only because he felt bad for forcing you upon me in the first place… and besides, I think it could be fun to have a houseguest. " Squall had to admit, it had been more peaceful with just the two of them if he didn't count all the fights they always had. He nodded his head.

"Lacus!" somebody called out, snapping Squall's and Lacus' attention away from each other and instead having it focus on this new person. That was when they saw Kira and Cagalli running in their direction.

"Hey, Lacus" Kira greeted between breaths "Cagalli and I need to get back home now. I was wondering if you wanted a ride back to your place, unless you're not finished here."

"No, I am" Lacus replied with a slight grin. "Oh, do you think you could drop Squall off as well?" she asked hurriedly. To this request, Kira arched an eyebrow.

"I was under the impression you were moving in with Athrun" he said, directing his query toward the brunette.

"I was, but…" Squall stated somewhat awkwardly.

"He changed his mind" Lacus said, helping the brunette. Again, this attracted an eyebrow raise. "It's just for simplicity sake" she assured Kira. "It'll be easier if he stays with me. All his things are at my place, anyway. Besides, he's been moved around a lot lately. It's all just to make things easier. That's all, right Squall?" she asked, looking to the brunette questioningly.

"Yeah" Squall said in a way that made it sound definite. "That's the _only_ reason." Kira nodded his head in understanding.

"Alright then" he said, leading them to the parking basement.

They made another silent journey – this one on foot – to the parking basement. Kira and Cagalli walked out in front, side by side while Squall and Lacus did the same behind them. They walked in a double-file line, like four little squares joined up to make a larger shape – each small square respectively one corner of a single larger square. It was similar in concept to the way the world worked. Every last person figured themselves as an individual yet they each made up part of something bigger. Individual employees all worked towards a common goal, to make money for the company they worked for. Even if someone should oppose the way the world worked there was nothing that could be done and eventually, all free thinkers were inevitably forced to conform to the way of the world and swim downstream with the rest of the 'individuals.' It really was the only way to survive.

When they got there they found everyone else waiting for them already. It seemed that they were all waiting in the van, with the exception of Athrun who was leaning against it. Once he saw them coming, he began walking to meet them.

"I'm taking these two to Lacus' place" Kira informed his friend.

"huh?" Athrun asked in confusion. "Squall's…"

"Staying with me" Lacus interjected, cutting the bluenette off."

"Why?"

"All of his things are at my house. It's just easier this way" the girl insisted.

"Are you sure I can't persuade you otherwise, Squall?" Athrun asked the brunette who promptly shook his head. "Well then, can I at least ask the two of you to stay until tomorrow? He asked pleasantly. "It's the least you can do." Lacus gave an exasperated sigh.

"Very well" she said under her breath. She looked at Squall. "It's alright with me."

"Fine" Squall agreed.

"I'll drop them off at you're place" Kira offered, to which Athrun agreed and the four of them each went to their respective vehicles.

One final uneventful car ride later and they found themselves back at Athrun's residence. Kira had arrived first of course, seeing as his car had faster acceleration and speed than any of the Zalacorp Company vehicles did. The boy's car came to an eventual halt at the base of the driveway and he allowed Squall and Lacus to each exit through one of the vehicle's side doors. They did so, closing the car doors behind them and walking side-by-side up the driveway.

Kira pulled the car away and drove off as they made their way toward the residential building. Lacus waved Kira off as he departed, and then resumed her walk with Squall.

"Uh, do you think you could help me with something?" she asked the brunette beside her quietly. Squall looked at her.

"What with?" he asked simply.

"Well, the others aren't here yet so… while we're here alone I thought we could start making dinner for them all. Squall gave a brief nod and continued the walk in silence.

When they got to the door they found it unlocked and Lacus wasted no time in getting to work. She instantly began pulling food out of the refrigerator and cupboards and the two began working together to prepare a meal for the large group.

By the time Athrun and the others got back, they had all the food prepared and in pots on the stove, waiting for it to cook. Squall turned around with a start when he heard several loud, crude noises signifying the return of everyone. He gave a sigh. This had indeed been a long day but it was almost over. He was glad.

"Don't worry" Lacus reassured him kindly. "Tomorrow when it's just us, it'll be a lot quieter." Squall nodded and she flashed him a quick smile. From the way she said it, the brunette couldn't help but feel relieved.


	7. Same School, New Company part I

**Rock Bottom**

**Author's Notes: **I've decided to add a **shameless advertising segment** to the end of some of my post-chapter Author's Notes. If I have information about future stories or other such things, chances are you'll find it either there, or on my profile page. On another note, due to the growing list of fandoms this story takes it's characters from, I've decided to scrap the long list of disclaimers for a more streamlined version. From now on, I own no canon characters. If you'd rather see the long list, let me know, or I could simply do one long disclaimer after the last chapter when the story ends. What do you think?

**Disclaimer:** The plot, setting, all original people, locations and factions belong to me; all canon places, names and characters belong to their respective copyright holders.

**Episode Seven: Same School, New Company Part One: Arrival**

The school year had come again. It had yet to even really begin, and Squall was already utterly, hopelessly lost in terms of what to do. Things were so confusing. These people, they were hoping to use him as a maid, that much was certain. Lacus had tried to point that out to him, but Squall wasn't quite as stupid as everybody made out. Sure, he was no good at Algebra, chemistry, physics or anything of that sort, and he was almost equally bad at both English and Japanese. His mind was neither literarily nor numerically bound, but he knew a little of the truly important things in life, the non-academic things.

Squall knew the will of people. He understood all too well how the world worked. He had been graced with its utter cruelty at a young age. He'd been made to see it. Nihilism was the one true faith. Those who proceeded to fabricate a silver lining within the clouds were only deluding themselves. There was no silver lining within those puffy grey blankets overhead, only water vapor and perhaps the odd sulfur atom. There was no definitive 'point' to existence. There was no justification for people to live, yet they each cling to their lives as though they may actually be worth something.

_Why? Why make an effort that is doomed to failure from the beginning? Why make the extra effort to cater for the fickle whims of others? It's not as though people would simply change their minds and accept a person simply because they remained happy and optimistic_. Determination was, and always would be, wasted on the ignorant.

_All my life, they have done it. They have called me dog without good reason. Why should they stop now? These people – Athrun, Yzak… they are vain and self-serving. Their desires are feeble and shallow. I detest them, and yet I can understand them. Dearka is merely a mindless jester – bothersome but not a threat. As for Lacus…_ the brunet turned slightly in his seat and stole a glance and the pinkette beside him. When she noticed and began to smile sweetly, Squall tore his eyes away from her, as though denial were the same as innocence. _She is a little more difficult. I can't seem to figure her out at all. She has been nothing but kind to me, yet I cannot trust her. Perhaps that's just a sign that I'm a bad person… but I can't be sure that she won't try anything. I know she doesn't trust me either. I can see it in her eyes, the way she looks at me when she thinks nobody is watching her, when she thinks I don't notice, before she is able to put up her sweet and innocent friendly façade. Those misty clouded orbs harbor something. I can tell she doesn't like me, so then why does she put up with me? It's illogical. Is she planning something? If so, then what? What could it be? I don't get it. Perhaps it's something else._

Squall sighed, coming to the only conclusion he could think of. _She pities me. I guess it's not unexpected. I _am_ after all, a pitiful wretch._ The brunet closed his eyes and buried his face in his palm, his fingertips erratically trying to claw holes in his skin, threatening to burst through and penetrate his temples.

"Squall, is something wrong," the girl asked him.

"No," he mumbled, slowly shaking his head. They were in a van. Athrun's van, with the Zalacorp logo on the side. The bluenet in question was driving, talking to the silver haired Yzak beside him in the passenger's seat. The rest were in the back, save for Squall, who sat in the middle near the door; and Lacus, who sat beside him in the same double seat. Squall couldn't tell why she was staying so close to him. He'd imagined that she'd want to sit beside Athrun, not the worthless houseguest with whom she'd been lumbered.

Everyone else seemed to be conversing amongst themselves as Athrun drove them all to school. The two exceptions were Lacus and Squall. While everybody occupied their minds with mindless chatter and idle small talk, Squall busied himself with staring out the window. He didn't try to focus on anything, and nothing of what he saw made it into his mind. It was honestly just a distraction, an excuse. An excuse for him not to talk to everyone. And an excuse for others who would not have to bother with disturbing him. It was an adequate idea, if Squall did say so himself, except it didn't work.

Even as Squall stared out the window, hard and silent as a stone, he could feel an innocent gaze penetrate through his back, as the dark thoughts permeating his mind gave way to this childlike light as it invaded and intruded the barren sanctity of his mind.

Evidently, acting like a lifeless rock, pretending he didn't exist, leaving all others alone and trusting them to do the same was not enough and soon he was forced to look around and meet Lacus' curious eye.

He allowed his silent gaze to ask the question for him. _What do you want?_

"Um, are you sure you're okay," Lacus hesitantly asked, discouraged slightly by the semi-glare Squall seemed to be issuing her.

"It's nothing." Lacus gave an exasperated sigh.

"You know, it's really hard to talk to you when you keep dismissing everything like this. Sometimes, I just don't know what to say." Squall narrowed his eyes and looked away.

"Then don't say anything. Just sit quietly and leave me alone. I never asked you to sit next to me, either."

"You know, you don't have to act like a…"

"Like a what," Squall snapped, turning his head around to face the pinkette once more.

"No, it's nothing… I'm sorry."

"No, let's hear it. What were you going to say, or are you a _total_ coward?"

"What did you say?"

"One who talks shit about people behind their backs, one who can't repeat or voice one's own opinion when asked. A coward."

"That label applies to me no more than it does to you." Squall smirked.

"I've never once denied my cowardice, and you've just now admitted it, albeit unintentionally."

"You know, sometimes I think about giving up on you."

"Then you are learning."

"Don't say that."

"No, it's true. When something is futile, the best course of action is sometimes to give up. Some people never learn this truth, and waste their lives simply trying to please others, and in the end… it does them no good."

"What are you talking about," Lacus asked, wide-eyed. She found this negative talk disturbing.

"This lesson… is one that I was made to learn the hard way. If there's one thing I'm grateful to Rinoa and the Caraways for, it's for teaching me the way the world really works."

"But Squall… don't you see? This thinking is destructive. Your logic, it's twisted and harmful."

"That's the way the world is! The sooner you pull your head out of whatever honeycomb-scented asshole you have it stuck in, the sooner you'll begin to see the truth, the way things really are."

"And when did one's idea of truth become 'the way things are?'"

"It pities me to see you so deluded, it truly does."

"No Squall. I'm the one who pities you."

"As I assumed," the brunet compiled. Context was irrelevant. The fact of the matter was, Lacus had admitted that she pitied him, that she was near him out of pity, that her entire facade of friendship was constructed from a gravelly mixture of sympathy.

The rest of the journey was about as eventful as Squall could want it to be, and once arriving in the student car park, the occupants of the van all filed out in the same direction, each heading in the direction of the quad.

That was when they happened to notice that they were being followed by the absent remainder of their group. Kira and Cagalli had just arrived.

"Hey, you guys _couldn't_ have timed that any better," Dearka commented.

Kira smiled in amusement at the strange coincidence. "Yeah, I guess you're right"

"Humph, that's not funny," Yzak complained about Dearka's simple-minded joke.

"Yeah, well 'd like to see you e up with something better," the blonde replied with a grin.

"Oh? Well…" Yzak looked away as he rapidly tried to think of something. "This is stupid!" he indignantly cried.

"Hey, we're gonna go over there," Kira announced, speaking for he and Lacus. "Right," he asked the pink haired girl.

"Um, sure," she replied, slightly embarrassed at having been put in the spotlight like that.

"Yeah, you go ahead," Athrun replied, waving them off.

"Do you want to come," Kira asked his fellow brunet before heading off, leaving the invitation open.

Squall shrugged his shoulders and decided to follow at a slow pace.

As he watched them, the brunet witnessed them speak to one another. He walked behind them, far enough away to watch them, not close enough to hear what they were saying, as if to give them privacy. It was a good distance. They could pretend he was someone else walking in their direction. They could forget that they had invited him to join them. They could pretend he wasn't there.

Squall followed them as they walked about the school, heading nowhere in particular.

"He seems to be straggling," Kira observed, referring to their considerate stalker.

"I think he just doesn't want to bother us… or listen in on what we're saying."

"It's not as though we're having a private conversation or anything."

"I know but, he's got this thing against small talk."

"He doesn't like to talk?"

"He says it's pointless. He seems to spend more time looking inward. Reflecting, thinking, trapped in his own world. I guess He's just not a big social person."

"That's surprising, considering where he came from… but then again, one's place in the world does not define their personality. If he's a quiet type of person, then the Caraway's typical dominating personalities must have made life quite difficult for him. I think it's for the best that you're taking care of him now. Maybe now he can begin to heal whatever emotional wounds that man's daughter must have inflicted on him over the years."

"I hope so. He just seems so… so _bitter_ sometimes. It's like there's nothing left in him but malice. It's as if a catheter has drained all the sweetness and warmth from his heart." Kira smiled at the pinkette's comment.

"You're doing the right thing."

"Am I?" she asked.

"He'll probably never say it, or thank you out loud… but I'm sure that subconsciously at the very least, he feels the same way."

As the conversation continued, the shrill ringing of the school bell obscenely cut them off, telling them to head in the direction of their home room.

"Ms Ramius' class, right," Kira asked.

"Yeah," Lacus replied, heading in that direction and leaving Kira and Squall to follow in her wake.

They followed in a random pattern, Kira directly behind her while Squall seemed to straggle five or six paces behind them, keeping them up ahead on his right. He continued to follow them to the class. It seemed only logical, considering they were all heading towards the same place.

He followed them as they walked around to their block. He followed them up the stairs, into the appropriate hallway and into the open classroom.

Squall was thankful that the door was open today, unlike the last time. While he hadn't had to wait long, the fact that the air was so thin made it difficult to breathe. It was a vastly uncomfortable situation to find himself in.

Squall walked into the room, looking around for a potential seat. He seemed to be one of the last to arrive, as people sat around in groups, talking loudly amongst themselves. Once again, he found himself looking over to where Kira and Lacus sat, their place the same as last time.

_Perhaps I should sit where I sat last time as well, on my own in the back of the class._ He looked to his seat, then back to Lacus, then to his seat again. _She doesn't want me around all the time, its bad enough she has to put up with me at home as well as in every class. I'm sure she won't want me with her in home room as well._

"Squall," he was about to sit at what would become his usual seat when he turned back to meet Lacus' enquiry. "You don't have to sit alone. You're always welcome to sit with us." Squall pondered this, but he didn't have much time before he'd be expected to give some kind of response.

_Why is she saying this, does she want me to stick by her while we're here?_ He nodded his head and walked over and pulled out a seat from the desk to sit down at the desk to the right of Kira.

Squall's attention, unlike that of those who were talking, was invariably drawn to the person who entered the room after him. Their teacher, Ms Ramius.

She smiled to her students as she looked left and right, silently addressing them all and welcoming them to their first real day of school for the year.

"Well then, I hope everyone's had a good morning?"

Her question went unanswered by those who were busy, their idle chit-chat seemingly far more important than looking up to greet or acknowledge their teacher.

She made her way up an isle formed in the room's center, where no desks or tables stood to block her path, like a valley or chasm.

She walked over to her desk and sat behind it, pulling out her logbook so she could take the attendance register. With pen in hand, she sent her bright gaze and warm smile towards her class, allowing them to drift across the room, to greet and distinguish her students.

From one side, to the back, and then the other, where she saw Squall. Sitting with Kira, a person as far away from the Caraway Clique as one could get. That was a big issue in and of itself, although it was not the only one. Squall Caraway, as his name implied, was part of the clan Caraway, the family pet.

There were some who believed the rumors that he and Rinoa were related by blood, as though siblings. Mirrue Ramius however, did not believe such blatant lies. Squall was property, under the ownership of Rinoa Caraway. As such, he rarely left her side.

For that reason and that reason alone, it was a surprise to see that boy in the company of anyone else, let alone someone so disconnected from his handler. It was truly a mystery how these two boys even met.

Pushing the probing gossip fodder to the furthest reaches of her mind and turning back to the logbook, the brown eyed brunette continued to mark her class' attendance. It wasn't really a daunting task at all. While making her way to her desk, she'd noticed that all of her students happened to be present and accounted for. All she had to do was mark them down as such.

She quickly ran her pen down the page, making check marks against each student's name, being sure to keep them under the correct column, in reference to the corresponding date. If any of her students were away, they would not be marked until later.

If students were late to class, they would be marked with an 'L.' if however, they didn't show up at all, they would then be marked with an 'A' for absent.

It was in all honesty, quite a simple system, and one that worked.

"So then, I hope all of you are prepared for the day," she said to her class, her greeting returned only by a small bored murmur from a small selection of her students. "Of course, you all know this by now but the first day is just like any other, save for the exception that it is your first."

"And what exactly does that mean," one of the students sitting on the right side of the class asked confusedly.

"It means you shouldn't expect your teachers to take it easy on you today just because you've been off on summer break. You are all expected to be ready and prepared to work, so I sincerely hope that each one of you brought the appropriate equipment and attitude."

At the moment she said those words, Squall's eyes snapped open to a width of surprise. Of unadulterated, horrified realization. He looked to Lacus, to see that she wore a similar mask over her usually tranquil face.

Their eyes locked, and she let out a single word.

"Walter…" Squall nodded in agreement.

"Um, excuse me," Kira asked, turning to Lacus, "did you say something?" Lacus shifted her gaze to meet Kira's eyes.

"It's Walter," Lacus explained. "He has our things. The other day, Squall and I went shopping for our stationary and Walter took it home after dropping us off at Athrun's place for that barbeque. If only we didn't go. If only we'd gone straight home, everything would be fine."

"Wait… so you two have nothing?"

"No… it's all at home."

"What are you going to do?" Lacus paused to think, concern etched into her every feature.

"Do you think the teachers will understand?" Squall let out a condescending snort at the girl's futile question.

"Squall, what is it," Kira asked him.

Squall looked directly at Lacus, making eye contact. "You asked if the teachers would understand our situation. Do you really want to hear the obvious answer to that question? Do you even need to? Do you really think they would believe us? Do you really think that they would accept such a feeble excuse?"

"They might."

"They won't," Squall replied, shaking his head. "Even if they were willing to give us the benefit of the doubt, you miss the point. No excuses will be accepted. We must be prepared to work today."

"I think I can help," Kira replied."

"How," Lacus asked, turning to face the amethyst eyed youth. Squall looked as well, though he remained silent.

Kira opened his bag and withdrew two notebooks and two pens, one with black ink and the other with violet. He handed a notebook to each and then gave a choice of pen. Lacus allowed Squall his choice and still wound up with the one she wanted.

"Thank you for this, Kira. I promise we'll repay you for this."

"Don't mention it," the brunet dismissed.

"We'll return these to you tomorrow then."

"No, you two can keep them. Being prepared means having many spares. I've come to realize that some people are never prepared, so I always bring a few extras to class, though this is quite honestly the first time I've given anyone one of my spare notebooks. A few sheets of refill paper will usually suffice."

"Thank you Kira," Lacus replied sincerely. "I really do appreciate this."

* * *

Rinoa and Fllay walked together onto the small field next to the gym where they had their first class for the morning, and coincidently, the first class of the year.

Looking around, they noticed girls sitting on the grass in small groups, talking about whatever it was they had on their minds, most likely the events of their summers. Rinoa's summer had been fine, up until they went to the lake, where her dog had run away.

She looked to the girl beside her. Fllay had suffered the same fate, felt the same loss. Although Squall belonged to the young Caraway, she often shared him with her best friend.

Looking around, Rinoa noticed another member of her group leaning with her back against a large wire fence.

"Miriallia," Fllay called out.

"Hi-i," the auburn haired girl sung back, splitting the greeting into two separate syllables.

Rinoa and Fllay made their way over to stand beside her, one on each side of the aqua eyed girl.

"So how was your summer," Fllay asked the girl in an effort to pass the time.

"Not bad," she replied. "You know, it was a little boring without you two around though."

"Really, I think I understand the feeling," Fllay replied.

"Would you two old ladies shut it," Rinoa complained, interrupting Fllay before she took a step on the uneasy soil where grass turned to eggshell.

"Um, so what does Squall have this period, anyway? You two usually share all the same courses, except for PE, right?"

"I really couldn't give half a shit about what that bitch is doing right now," Rinoa bitterly snapped.

"What," Miriallia asked insecurely, uncertain as to why her raven haired friend was so angry. She was usually so calm and free-spirited. Cruel, and ever so slightly twisted, but calm nonetheless.

"You don't know yet," Fllay glumly concluded.

"Well obviously," Rinoa snapped back, chastising her friend for stating the obvious. "Wow, you must be a fuckin' genius to figure that out all by yourself." Fllay cringed at her friend's now-harsh tongue. Without Squall to belittle about, Rinoa was in need of a new scapegoat, a new stress-reliever. That was supposed to be Seifer, wasn't it? Fllay couldn't see it though. Those two were far too different for it to work. Someone like Squall couldn't just be replaced by anybody. His attitude, his melancholy, his blind obedience. Even his personality. Squall was unique.

"Dare I ask what's going on," Miriallia asked her red haired friend.

"Rinoa and Squall had a fight."

"So, what else is new?"

"It was serious this time. They're not together anymore. We won't be seeing anymore of him."

"Where the fuck is our teacher!" Both girls looked to their raven haired friend for her outburst. "What the fuck are you two looking at," she demanded.

"Wow, you really get stressed out without Squall around, don't you," Miriallia commented.

"Shut up," Rinoa shot back.

"Are you still talking about the ikeike," a familiar smug voice asked, announcing its own presence.

"What are _you _doing here," Miriallia asked disdainfully, her narrowing eyes filled to the brim with hatred.

"He's Squall's replacement," Fllay explained in a voice that sounded less than satisfied with the arrangement."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Miriallia narrowed her eyes distastefully at the blond.

"Nobody likes you," she hissed in a low voice.

"Rinoa does," Seifer confidently stated.

"You seem sure of yourself. Because she likes you. That is why. That is the only reason the rest of us put up with your presence. Am I right Fllay?"

"Well... yeah," the red haired girl stated honestly.

"Why don't you give me a chance? You never know, you might start to like me."

"I don't think so."

"Hey, I'm already starting to grow on the redhead here. I'm sure I'll find a way to make you both appreciate me before long."

"I _hate_ arrogant guys," Miriallia stated coldly and finally.

"Is that right," Seifer asked, still smiling that smug look that made the aqua eyed Miriallia want to scratch his face off. "You know, you're pretty cute."

"Blow it out your rear."

"No, I mean it. You should be careful. You don't want anything to happen to that adorable little face of yours." Fllay and Miriallia both widened their eyes at the blond's warning, one girl from surprise, the other in anger.

"Are you… threatening us," Fllay asked him gingerly.

"Not at all," Seifer replied reassuringly. "I'm just saying, your friend here is cute. By the way, you're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, Red."

"What's your point," Fllay enquired, being too impatient in her curiosity to bother becoming flustered by the compliment.

"If you're angry all the time, you'll get wrinkles. You don't want to ruin all your faces when you're older, do you? That goes for you too, Rinoa."

"Well _excuse_ us for not wanting to be like that emotionless bitch Squall."

"Well, _you're_ excused, but you might want to tell your friends to take it down a notch."

"Why is only Rinoa excused," Fllay asked, feeling curious once more."

Seifer smiled, still looking Rinoa in the eye. "Because I like it when you're pissed about something. You're cute when you're angry, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Okay, I think you've officially killed that word, Seifer. Would you stop calling us cute? I'm not some fuckin' little kid, you know."

"Oh, I know. The other day more than proved that," Seifer smirked.

"Then stop calling me cute!"

"Alright, how about sexy then. And more than a little slutty."

"Why thank you," Rinoa replied, also smirking. "That is acceptable."

"Um, I don't think that last part was a compliment," Miriallia interjected.

"Sure it was," Rinoa replied. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, since when is being a slut considered a good thing," Miriallia asked, answering Rinoa's rhetorical question with one of her own.

"Since sluts get all the attention," Seifer replied, his amused smirk growing all the wider.

"Excuse me," a man asked, approaching them, probably a teacher. He had short blond hair, sparkling blue eyes and wore a tight-fitting white t-shirt with dark violet colored running shorts that proudly displayed the toned muscles in his chest, arms and legs. "Are you acknowledged as being a boy," he asked, his question directed at Seifer.

"I am not a boy!"

"Ah, so you _are _a girl then. My apologies, I was rather confused by the short hair and flat chest. Oh, are you aware that only males are permitted to wear trousers as per school regulations?"

"What the hell are you talking about, I'm not a girl. What, are you retarded or something?"

"But you just said-"

"Look, there's only one way we can resolve this," Rinoa said, acting as the voice of reason for once.

"Rinoa, you know firsthand. You tell him what I am," Seifer demanded.

"I dunno…" she smirked, "I think you're gonna have to check," she told the older man. "You'll have to rip his pants down and make sure."

"I don't think-" the man began, but was cut off once again by the raven haired girl.

"Aw, c'mon. I'll hold him down, you feel him up."

"Sorry, I don't get off on that kind of thing," the man smirked.

"Too bad… Fllay, how about you?"

"No thanks, do your own dirty work."

"Miriallia?"

"Sorry," the auburn haired girl replied, giggling at Seifer's expense."

"Damn, you guys are no fun," Rinoa complained, before her disillusioned face soon became a smirk of perverse entertainment once again.

"Hey," she called out to get the attention of the entire class. "We need to check if Seifer's the man he says he is. We need to know what he's got underneath his pants. Seriously, feel Seifer up! Any takers? Anyone?" She gave a sigh after nobody stepped forward voluntarily. "No fun, all of you. You've all got no sense of adventure, no sense at all. Sorry Seif, Looks like it's gonna have to be me," she smirked.

"Hey, what are you doing," Seifer asked, backing away as though the raven haired girl were a wild predator, but soon finding himself caged in by the wire fence. "Not out here, not in public."

"Why not, Seif? You had no problem with it on the ride to school this morning."

"Not in front of everybody!"

"Oh, I see," Rinoa replied, dejected, disappointed. "And here I thought you were different. You're just as boring as every other twat here. Squall would've stood there and taken it like a man, but if you can't even keep up with that bitch…" Just then, the conversation was interrupted when the blond man, seemingly forgotten in all the excitement of Seifer's pending public humiliation, loudly cleared his throat."

"It's okay, _really_," the man stated. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, young man. Go off and head into the gym with all the other guys."

"Uh, right," Seifer replied, complying, grateful for the reprieve and making a mental note not to push Rinoa's temper too far. If this was her in a _good _mood, he didn't want to know what she was like on the warpath. He escaped the lioness' den and made his way to the gym, where he was supposed to have gone from the beginning.

"Alright girls," the blond man called out to get everyone's attention. "Gather around me! I am your Gym teacher. You may call me Mister La Flaga." With that, he took a beige colored sack he'd been holding over his shoulder and flung it onto the ground. "Everyone take a uniform, go into the girl's changing room and get changed. I want you all back out here and ready for class in ten minutes."

"Aw, not the school-supplied PE-uniforms," someone complained.

"Well, if any of you bothered to bring your own, you can wear that instead but until then, School-supplied it is."

"I hate these dirty old public uniforms," Fllay complained. "What if I catch something?"

"First of all," La Flaga interrupted," I doubt that would be a problem unless of course you've neglected to wear underwear today. Secondly, I assure you that they have been washed since last year."

"Then why do they smell so funny," Miriallia asked, picking up one of the garments and holding it up to her face, recoiling from the unique scent.

"Just go, would you!" La Flaga instructed, sending his students to the Gym's female changing room.

Once they had all undressed and redressed in the questionably smelling clothing, they all returned to their places on the field beside the gym and La Flaga separated them into two groups.

"Okay," the blond teacher said to his class once they had organised themselves into two orderly lines. "Since this is your first day, we're going to do something simple. The group on the left, head into the Gym with the Guys and practice rope climbing." There was a loud groaning coming from half of the class. Evidently, it seemed that the group unlucky enough to be chosen for rope exercises just so happened to be the half of the class that had appallingly low upper body strength.

"Phew," Miriallia uttered as she let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she had not been part of that unlucky group. "I hate climbing."

"Off you go," La Flaga ordered. "Now, as for the rest of you," he continued as the students grudgingly did as they were instructed, "Are going to run laps with me, and you'd better all keep up. I don't want anyone shooting ahead, and I don't want anyone lagging behind. I'll set the pace and I'd like you all to keep it."

"And if we don't," Rinoa challenged.

"Anyone not part of the group, I will assume needs further practice."

"I'm fine with that," Rinoa shrugged.

"Oh no," Fllay muttered as she realised what her raven haired friend was planning. "I hate running."

"Well I love it," Rinoa countered.

"You're going to make us run extra laps as punishment for not keeping with the group, aren't you?"

"You know me so well," Rinoa smirked.

"Please don't make me do that. I haven't been keeping fit over the summer. I don't think I could handle it."

"Well, my red haired running partner, since you are in desperate need of practice to get yourself back in shape, I will make it my personal ambition to see you get all the catch-up exercise you require."

"Please don't," Fllay pleaded in a quiet voice. but she knew it would do her no good.

With little time for complaint, La Flaga had his students running laps of the track field, which just so happened to be on the other side of the school to the smaller field they had been waiting on. This teacher apparently wasn't pulling any punches with them. Understandable, considering he was the head of the Physical Education department, which could be considered as either blessing or curse, depending on one's own point of view.

For Rinoa, it was a good thing. For some of the weaker students however, it may not have been as much of a highlight.

Being the speed and endurance master that she was, Rinoa quickly made her place at the top of the class known, taking an early lead and speeding to the head of the pack by the time they had reached the track.

"I want you to run laps around the perimeter of this field. No cutting corners! Don't stop until I say so."

"Crap, it looks like he's trying to test our endurance, and if we can't keep up, we get punished," Fllay complained.

"Well, that's all well and good for people like Rinoa, but what about those of us who can't keep up with her," Miriallia replied.

"I dunno, but we'd better head up there with her. You know what she's like."

"You can go ahead. I'd rather face Rinoa's wrath than exhaust myself and have to run remedial laps after class." Fllay nodded and picked up her pace so that she could run alongside Rinoa.

"Hey Suki," Rinoa pleasantly greeted the girl with short brown hair who had been at the head of the pack as she caught up. Despite the girl belonging to a group of friends different from her own, Rinoa had run into this girl before in various classes and knew her well enough to strike conversation.

"Oh, Hi Rinoa."

"So how was your summer, did you hook up with that guy yet?" The brunette's eyes widened and she turned to face Rinoa. "You know the one I mean, that tall guy who's always hanging around with Athrun Zala."

"Oh, you mean Takumi?"

"Yeah, who else would I be talking about?"

"Oh, I don't know…"

"So did you?"

"Oh, yeah, I did. He invited me to Japan with his family over the summer and we…"

"You what?" the brunette blushed. "Oh, I get it," Rinoa smirked. "You don't have to be so bashful."

"No, I didn't mean... We haven't done _that_."

"Why not, you don't want him to get bored of you, do you? If you reject a guy too many times, he'll eventually toss you aside for someone more accommodating."

"But I didn't reject him, he didn't even suggest that. We're not like you, Rinoa."

"So what, now you think you're better than me, is that it!"

"No, I didn't say that! Look, let's just change the subject, okay? How did you're summer go? Did you do anything special?"

"Well, my dog ran away, so I had to start training a new one. He's a disobedient little bastard too, so it's taking a lot of work."

"I didn't even know you had a dog."

"It's a metaphor," Fllay responded, having finally caught up with them, "You know, like saying someone is your 'lapdog?' She's talking about Squall. They broke up over the summer."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the brunette replied.

"Pfft, I'm not."

"Excuse me ladies," La Flaga interrupted, stepping into the conversation. "If you have the energy to talk, perhaps you are not running fast enough. Let us see if you can keep up with me." He then took off in a sprint, leaving the girls behind.

Rinoa turned to Fllay and smirked. I think he wants a race, she hypothesized."

"Better give it to him," Fllay replied.

Rinoa smirked wider and increased her speed so that she was running flat out, speeding up to and strait past their teacher, who then also increased his sprinting pace to pass her again. He was actually racing one of his students, quite an interesting way to begin the year.

* * *

After wearing his students out quite considerably for about half an hour or so, La Flaga sent them to the gym to switch places with the other half of the class, who were presumably climbing ropes with the boys.

"Oh man, why do we have to go and do something with the guy's class when we're all sweaty like this," Fllay complained.

"So what, it's not like it matters," Rinoa replied. "Besides, some guys like their girls sweaty and exhausted."

"That's not what I mean and you know it," Fllay snapped. "I'm sure they won't like us when we smell."

"Why do you two always act like a couple of middle-aged women planning your next act of cradle-robbing? Besides," Miriallia complained about her friend's behavior, "aren't you already with Kira, Fllay?"

"No," the red head replied harshly. "He doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Why not?"

"He thinks I was being unfaithful to him."

"Well," Rinoa added, "in his defense, you were."

"That was only because of you! In a way, all of this is your fault."

"Hey, I may have tempted you, but you're the one who went for it. You're as much to blame as I am."

"Wow," Miriallia said, cracking up in laughter, "the two of you take a break for the summer and the both of your love lives are completely shot!"

"Shut up," the two girls intolerantly replied to their auburn haired friend.

* * *

"Ahh!" Miriallia let out a scream as her sweaty hands lost their grip from halfway up the rope and she went plummeting down to the hard polished floor below, her eyes closing and her every muscle tensing up as her body braced itself for the painful impact of her fall.

What she didn't expect however, was the slightly cushioning effect of the body below her and the arms that carefully snaked their way around her.

It all took a moment for everything to register. She lay there, still tensed, still expecting the worst for what seemed in her mind to be an eternity.

Eventually, her eyes slowly opened and her muscles, still trembling from exhaustion, began to relax. Her deep breathing began to relax and lessen to more naturally sized breaths.

It was only then that she realized the situation she was in.

"Ahem," she said, clearing her throat, "You can let go of me now." Her eyes narrowed when she noticed something further. "And you can get your hand away from my chest!"

"Elsman," the teacher, a muscular man with short brown whom they were told to address by his first name, Bando, called out, "Let the young lady go and get your ass up that rope."

"Ah, yeah," The body beneath the very disgruntled Miriallia replied, standing to his feet and helping her up at the same time. It was then that she noticed his appearance. He had blonde hair and nicely tanned skin, probably a souvenir from his summer. She didn't have the chance to say anything further as he instantly began climbing the rope that had so rudely thrown her off.

As he proceeded to show off his climbing ability to all the girls present, the remainder of the male class had shifted their attention to the other two ropes, where Rinoa Heartily and Fllay Allster continued to climb.

The male attention remained solely on them. None appreciated this more than Seifer. He deserved _something_ from these two after his humiliation earlier. He smirked as he stood below them, looking up, enjoying the view.

* * *

Lacus and Squall walked to H Block, the Hospitality block, for their next class. H Block was equipped with kitchens and held Home Economics, Retail and tourism related classes such as Hospitality.

Having come from their English class, Squall and Lacus had dispersed from the flood of students as they made their way over to Home Economics. It seemed that no other students were going with them. This next class would be one filled with strangers.

"Oh, Kira." Squall looked up to see the brunet Lacus was calling out to. He watched as the boy came closer.

"Hi," he pleasantly greeted. "So what class are you going to?"

"Home Economics," Lacus explained minimalistically.

"And you," Kira probed, his second question directed at Squall.

"I'm with her," the blue eyed boy responded, looking away.

"I see."

"What about you, Kira," Lacus asked, "Where are you going?"

"I have the same subject. So, are you going to H7?"

"Yes."

"Then it looks like all three of us are in the same class."

"Oh, that's great," Lacus exclaimed, smiling at him. "We can all sit together, just like in Homeroom."

"Assuming you actually want to," Squall muttered, barely audibly."

"What was that Squall," Lacus asked tentatively, "Do you not like us?" Squall shrugged. "Do you not _want _to sit with us?"

"That's not the problem."

"Then…?"

"It may not be for your best interest to be seen with me. I tend to draw attention from people, some of which you may not want to meet."

"Like whom?"

"Seifer Almasy, for one."

"Um, Seifer Almasy," Lacus asked. "Who's that?"

"Do you remember that blonde guy from the mall? The one who called you…" Lacus' eyes narrowed, as if from concentration, but then widened, perhaps in sudden realization.

"Oh, I think I remember him." Squall nodded. "But why would you be worried about him?"

"He's always enjoyed taunting me. If I am with you, it will make you a target. It's for the best that you leave me be."

"Are you saying you don't want to befriend us?"

"Desire does not factor into the equation," Squall replied distantly.

"Then… you do want to be friends with all of us?"

"It doesn't matter what I want."

"But for the record, do you?" Squall sighed.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean? Either you like us or you don't."

"I… can't say."

"What?"

"I don't even understand myself. I can't tell you that which I personally do not know."

They reached the class to find the door open.

Squall took a seat at the first empty table he saw, only for the other two to join him.

"Did you not understand my sentiment? If seen with me, it will damage your social status."

"None of that matters," Lacus told him dismissively. "'There is no point trying to please others,' right? 'Sometimes, it may even make them hate you more.'"

"Whatever," Squall replied, feeling less than flattered at being quoted like that.

"We wanted to sit with you, and besides…" the girl trailed off.

"Home Economics isn't really a solo class," Kira clarified, finishing Lacus' thought for her. "All of the assignments are completed in groups. If we're with you, that will be an easier feat to accomplish."

"Maybe."

"You're welcome," Lacus replied sweetly, offering Squall one of her warm, closed-eyed, closed-mouth smiles; taking his dismissal as a thank you.'"

"Welcome," a large, slightly overweight brown haired man sporting a full beard at the front of the class greeted his students when he noticed the three new arrivals beginning to settle.

"Who's he," someone murmured in reference to their teacher.

"A new teacher," someone else assumed.

"I am Albert E Boreland, your substitute teacher. You can call me Al."

"Substitute," someone, possibly the same student as before, asked.

"Ahem, as I said, I am your substitute while your regular teacher, Mrs. Whattyl is sick in the hospital with what I am told is quite a serious bout of food poisoning."

"So I guess that means we have easy lessons until she comes back," one presumptuous student arrogantly stated.

"Since I do not know your names, I will have a sheet of paper passed around the room to take attendance. I would like each of you to sign your names on the paper and pass it on. This will be going straight to the administration office, so make sure to sign your real names, or you may be marked down as truant."

"There goes half of the class clown's material," Kira uttered, causing Lacus to laugh. Squall however, merely looked ahead at their teacher. He wasn't quite sure what to think. Was this man really supposed to be their Home Economics teacher? Could he even cook? Did he enjoy it? Could he teach it? Squall hated to discriminate over sex, but didn't women usually teach this class? This big Al didn't look like much of a cooking teacher. He looked more like a debt collector or some kind of lumberjack, particularly due to beard and the flannel shirt he was wearing.

Squall dropped his gaze and turned it back to the table when Kira passed him the sheet of paper. He took out the black pen he'd been given and wrote his name.

_Squall Caraway_

He passed it to Lacus, who then signed her name as well.

_Lacus Clyne_

She had written it in neat, slanted cursive writing, decadent with loops and swirls, the violet ink from her pen only seeming to make it more so. Her writing seemed so elegant in comparison to Squall's. Squall's writing was plain and small.

"I thought you said your last name was Leonheart," the pinkette asked him confusedly. She must have been comparing their written names as well.

"Officially, it's Caraway," Squall explained.

As they spoke, Kira picked up the paper and wordlessly passed it along to the next table.

"Leonheart was my mother's maiden name. She died, I presume. Either way, I don't know a thing about her, save for that one fact. Then, when my father left, the Caraways adopted me. Legally, I'm a Caraway, but I'm Caraway in name only."

"So you prefer Leonheart?"

"Yeah."

"You're sixteen now, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then why not get your name changed?"

"I intend to, after leaving school."

"I see… but why your mother's name? Why not your father?" Squall's eyes narrowed hatefully.

"My father was a selfish son of a bitch. He was a coward, a clown, and the black sheep in a flock full of them. I'd accuse him of besmirching the family name, if it were anything other than mud to begin with. Only a fool would take that name willingly, especially in today's world."

"Why, what was his name?" Squall eyed Lacus, considering whether or not it was worth letting her in on the little snippet of information he himself wished we were ignorant about. He wondered why she was so interested. "I'd rather not say. I'm sure you'd understand the notion."

Lacus' eyes widened. She knew what he meant, but the way he'd said it, he sounded so accusatory, as though holding something against her, like the discussion they'd had on their first night together. He had asked about her past, about that man with the black hair, but she had refused to talk about it. Now he was withholding similar information from her. Now she knew how it felt. She reluctantly nodded her head.

"Okay, I understand."

"…and even though your previous teacher had an outline set," Al said, not realising that some of his students were not paying attention, "I believe that a more practical class outline will be more beneficial for you all. I'm sure you'd rather be in the kitchen making things, than writing essays about fat content and protein. I know your teacher's pro-theory class regime had you cooking only once a fortnight, but I think you'll find my more practical, hands on approach much more enjoyable, so if you'll all accompany me into the kitchen next door, we can get started. Oh," he added as an afterthought, "and bring your bags. You won't be coming back to this classroom today."

He walked to the back of the class and opened the door to the adjoining kitchen.

Upon realizing that they had been paying not even the slightest scrap of attention, Kira waited at the table for them. Squall and Lacus would snap back to the real world before long, and then wonder where everybody had gotten to.

They seemed lost, trapped in their own little world together, as through having a private discussion telepathically, with their minds. Each had ensnared the other's gaze. They were having a private conversation, the most private of all.

They were letting their eyes do the talking.

With a sigh, Kira sat back down. He'd been standing and waiting for these two to come back down to earth, but that didn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

He began waving a hand between them, to catch the attention of their eyes, though such tactics did not seem to be working in this instance. Each of the two were dreaming.

Having failed that, Kira then tried physical contact. He nudged, poked and shook Squall by the shoulder, finally managing to catch his attention.

Squall looked around, then to Kira.

"They're all next door," Kira explained, nodding in the direction of the door. You go ahead. I'll uh… wake Lacus." Squall nodded and stood, taking his bag and walking into the next room. Looking around, he noticed an empty table in the back, so silently pulled out a stool from underneath and sat down, looking to the front of the class for the teacher's instructions.

"Lacus," Kira called out, trying to catch the girl's attention. "Lacus, Lacus!" He gently shook her shoulder.

"Huh," she languorously murmured, as if she really had been in a dream. She looked around, as Squall had done before turning to Kira for answers. "Um, is class over?" she asked, blushing as though a teacher had just caught her sleeping in class.

"That would be wishful thinking," Kira stated as their eyes locked.

"Yeah," Lacus replied with a laugh, leaning closer to the brunet, her blush deepening endlessly, furiously, the blood rushing to her head in profuse abundance like a scarlet fountain spewing forth unending rivers of crimson beneath her once-anemic milk white skin."

"Kira, I… I need to…"

"We should go," Kira cut her off.

"Oh, okay," the pinkette replied, standing up and backing away from the brunet, though her cheeks flared more than ever. _I guess he doesn't want to be in a room alone with me. No one does, except Athrun, but he's… I know his type. I don't want him to –"_

"The class is next door. They're probably waiting for us. We should go."

"Uh, yeah. You're right."

In the kitchen, the students murmured amongst themselves as Al looked at the piece of paper the class had signed their names on. "We seem to be a couple short," he muttered to himself.

"Um, we're sorry for being late," Kira said, causing all eyes to turn to him and the still-blushing Lacus beside him. They had only now come out of that room together. It was only natural for minds to draw their own conclusions.

Al merely nodded to them, a gesture for them to take their seat.

They walked over to Squall's table and sat down. "So what are we doing," Kira asked.

"Making eggs, apparently," Squall replied in a bored monotone.

"Sounds simple enough," Lacus added.

"Um… excuse me," a familiar voice called out to the table.

All three students turned their heads to see a very nervous red haired girl standing before them, anxiously playing with her tie, unsure of what their reaction might be. "Fllay," Kira breathed, his expression showing his surprise.

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys?" Lacus' eyes narrowed judgingly.

"You've got nerve talking to us after what you did to Kira," she accused.

"I know, I'm sorry." Her eyes shifted to Squall. "I wouldn't normally ask, knowing what you all think of me, but we have to do this in groups, and if I join anyone else's table, they'll have an odd number. You need to gain or lose an extra person to even out your group, right?"

"I doubt any of us would want to work with you," Lacus stated somewhat coldly. It reminded Squall of when he first arrived at her house. He wondered if that's what he sounded like whenever he opened his mouth.

"You two are a group by yourselves," Squall stated, seemingly coming to the redhead's defense for some unknown reason. "As it is, I'm a third wheel here. I'll work with her." Fllay instantly grinned ear to ear.

"Really?" Squall nodded.

"We'll work at the spare table on the other side of the class."

"Wait," Kira called out."

"Kira," Lacus asked him unsurely.

"Fllay, I need to know. Why are you in this class? You used to mock _me _for taking home economics. Now you're doing it yourself?"

"I know. I just thought it was weird for a guy to be in a class that involves cooking."

"Be thankful that there is a guy in here, because Squall is the only one here that's even willing to work with you. If you hope to set things right between us, know that you're wasting your time."

"That's not why I'm here, and I _am_ grateful to Squall… it was good to see you again, Kira. Let's go," she directed at Squall, reaching to take hold of his arm, preparing to lead him away from the other two.

"Hold on," Kira stopped them. "The ideal group size is four. You can work with us, but we stick to our current partners, no switching. I'm with Lacus. Squall is with Fllay. Is that alright?" They all nodded and got to work.

As they got started, the class scrambled to get their ingredients ready. No pair demonstrated this better than Kira and Lacus. Squall and Fllay however, had much to learn about teamwork. Squall lacked either the ability or the drive to lead, and Fllay seemed to be lost completely.

"What should we do," the redhead asked.

"Do you see the ingredient list on the board?"

"Yeah."

"…I'll get the ingredients. Can you get the pan ready?"

"Um…" Squall slapped his hand to his forehead, slowly shaking his head in his palm.

"Alright, we'll take this slowly. See what Lacus is doing?" The pinkette in question currently held a frying pan in her hand, moving it around before her. "Take a pan and heat some oil on the element, then slowly tilt the pan about to lubricate the entire cooking surface of the pan. Can you do that?"

"Um, how much oil?"

"I dunno… about a tablespoon full."

"Tablespoon… that's the big one, right?"

"Yeah." Fllay nodded and set herself to it, not wanting to seem completely useless.

She poured the oil into the pan and heated it above the element, tilting it every which way as she had seen Lacus do before. The two girls stood side by side, each watching over the heated oil in their respective pans, each concentrating with all their intellectual might, neither looking at the other, each purposefully avoiding the other's eye.

As they did this, Squall and Kira got to work collecting various vegetables and dicing them. Squall cracked his eggs in a bowl and added a rough measure of milk strait from the bottle, while Kira had remained accurate and true to the recipe, getting an exact reading from a measuring cup.

Despite Kira having a head start due to Fllay's ignorance and Squall's incompetence as a leader, Squall's experience and speed had him quickly catching up. Both boys had been used as maids previously, and so each had everyday experience in the kitchen, but Squall had been doing the chores of a housewife far longer than Kira had.

The Amethyst eyed boy had to stare in awe at Squall's rough professionalism, if there were such a thing. His imprecise, yet at the same time accurate measurements stood as a sentiment of his experience and knowledge of weight and proportion.

"You're pretty fast," Kira commented.

"I have to be," Squall replied. "Mister Caraway isn't a patient man." He pulled out a whisk and began beating the eggs before adding the other ingredients and mixing them further. He took the bowl over to Fllay and helped her pour the mixture into the pan without splashing or spilling any.

"Thanks, Squall," the redhead said quietly so that Kira and Fllay wouldn't overhear. They had finished cooking now, and Al had come over to personally inspect each group's food.

"For what?"

"For helping me with that. Not just for being my partner. I wouldn't have known what to do without you."

"Don't exaggerate."

"No, I mean it."

"It was just an omelet."

"Even so. I've got a confession to make. I didn't expect to be teamed up with you."

"You were hoping for Kira," Squall concluded.

"I was, but I'm really glad about the way things turned out." Squalls eyes widened. "And… this was my first time cooking."

"You don't say," Squall dryly commented. Fllay gave what appeared to be a timid smile at the joke.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't much help."

"You'll get better," Squall assured the girl, mentally noting her reaction. Rather than take offense as Lacus would have, or lash back as Rinoa would have, she seemed to simply laugh it off. Fllay was much different when she was alone. The brunet chalked it up to Rinoa's divine influence. Fllay alone and Fllay with her friends were as different as the moon and the sun. On her own like this, she was much more tolerable. Squall might have even grown to enjoy her company in this class.

Once again, my first time was with you, and I'm glad." A coy smile played upon Fllay's lips. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

* * *

_Prior to attending her class with Squall, Kira and the rest of them, Fllay had been walking alongside Rinoa as they departed from their PE class on their way to their next one, Workshop. They had made it halfway across the H-Block quad when Fllay hesitated and fell behind._

_Catching Rinoa's eye, the girl began to visibly slow._

"_What is it," Rinoa asked._

"_Um, well…"_

"_Just spit it out, we're gonna be late."_

"_Well, that's just it. My class is here."_

"_What are you talking about," Rinoa asked, leering at the redhead condescendingly. "Did you forget how to read your timetable again? We're going to workshop."_

"_No, I'm not doing that class this year."_

"_What the fuck, Fllay? We always share our classes. We've always worked together; you, me, and the dog."_

"_I know, but I've never enjoyed workshop. I've switched to Home Economics this year."_

"_Home Economics," Rinoa scoffed, "you can't even cook toast."_

"_I… I know that, but… I could learn."_

"_Why would you wanna cook anyway? It's boring. I should know, I've seen Squall do it often enough."_

"_It can't be any more boring than banging hammers together."_

"_Hey, at least with the hammers we're doing something practical. From Squall's experience in that class, it's all essays. They make you learn the theory of cooking, it's a fucking joke. Seriously Fllay, you should see the amount of homework Squall gets from that class."_

"_Well, there's nothing I can do about it now. Besides, Kira is in that class."_

"_Oh, I get it now", Rinoa smirked. "You just want to be with him. That's quite devious of you Fllay, I'm impressed."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_If he sees you trying to become a better person, he may consider taking you back." Fllay's eyes snapped wide open._

"_You… think so?"_

"_Sure, if you can fool him. It's worth a try."_

_

* * *

_

"Hey, Rinoa!" Fllay had since departed to her cooking class, leaving Rinoa alone and bored. Eager for company as she was, Rinoa turned around. "Wait up!" She increased her pace, her lips pulling up at the corners. While Rinoa may have wanted his company, he still had to work for it.

Breaking into a run, Seifer soon caught up with her. "Hey, didn't you hear me or something?"

"Of course I did. I'm not deaf, you know."

"Then why didn't you wait?"

"Oh, I did."

"Bullshit, you started walking faster. Are you avoiding me or something?"

"If I didn't want you to catch up, I'd have started running." Falling into line beside the blond, she slipped her hand into his pocket.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing," he demanded.

"Making sure you got the right pants after PE."

"What, do you think guys trade pants or something?"

"Why not, girls trade underwear."

"You… do that?" Rinoa's grin cracked into hysterical laughter.

"Fuck your gullible," she stated, not for the first time and certainly not for the last. "Now," she said, calming her voice back to neutral. "Let me see." Feeling the inside of his pocket, she found that they were indeed the same pants he had been wearing earlier. "Hmn, it looks like you've been a good boy." Seifer narrowed his eyes at the boy remark, but let it slide.

"What does that prove?"

"How many people do you really think walk around with holes in their pockets," Rinoa sneered. "Speaking of which," she added, pushing her hand through the hole so that it protruded to the interior of his trousers, then snaked it upward until she found the thing of which she was searching, feeling it through the boy's underwear.

"Hey, what the fuck," Seifer exclaimed, trying to push her off. "What did I say about doing that out in the open?" He eventually managed to force her back off, but by that time, it was too late. The damage had been done, and with Seifer being the man he was, he had a very large something to hide.

Seifer walked rather awkwardly, in direct contrast to his usual proud swagger. He was hunched over, taking painfully wide steps.

"What's with him," a brunette with a long ponytail asked one of her friends upon seeing the blond.

"Oh my," another said, giggling uncontrollably upon seeing the problem.

"How disgraceful," Rinoa called out. "It seems that Seifer has a little problem with self-discipline."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Seifer shoved his hands into his pockets, leaned over more and tried to increase his pace.

Rinoa followed at her own leisurely speed, once again in high spirits after her argument with Fllay, not that the red haired girl's minor infraction had affected her or anything.

When she arrived, she found Seifer hunched over at a table, sitting by himself, a displeased expression upon his face. As she came closer she noticed him glaring at her, to which she smiled almost lovingly.

"Did you have to humiliate me like that," he asked when she sat down beside him.

"You avoided your public molestation before, Seifer. I owed it to you."

"Oh, so you didn't want me getting off the hook so easily, is that it?"

"Yeah, something like that. And it's just so fun to tease you, not at all like Squall."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You said you like me when I'm angry, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's the same for you. It's just so fun to wind you up and watch you go off. Just like a toy."

"So, I'm supposed to just become some toy for you to amuse yourself when you get bored? Do you seriously expect me to just sit back and become your fucking play thing?"

"yes," Rinoa replied, her eyes portraying just how serious she was. They were so sincere that they caused Seifer to shiver. "I really do."

"Sorry. I'm not the Ikeike. Find yourself another bitch."

"Aw, come on Seif. You don't mean that. You know you can't give me up just like that."

"If you plan to humiliate me like _that_ I can."

"Oh… you're no fun," she complained.

"I am so fun! You can't take the ikeike drinking."

"Actually, Fllay and I used to get him drink all the time, except _he_ never stole the bottle from me or drank the last drop, unlike _some_ people."

"Okay, okay, the last drink is yours. I know that now."

"Well, make sure you don't forget it. I'm serious. Do it again and I'll drop you like that," she clicked her fingers to emphasize her point. "Just like I did with Squall. I have no need for disobedient guys. My interest is in lapdogs, not in disloyal mutts."

"Wow Rinoa, you make me feel really special."

"I'm glad you think so."

Just then, their teacher came in the door, that simian man who appeared to like grunting, that Mister Taylor. He, it seemed, was to be their workshop teacher.

"Oh, not this guy again," Rinoa complained.

"He's not so bad," Seifer argued, much to Rinoa's disdain, and she glared at him, shooing daggers from her dark eyes.

"What did I just say about disloyal mutts? Huh, dog?"

"Oh, right," Seifer remembered, his lips pulling once more into a smirk.

Rinoa knit her brows in an attempt to understand the blond's intention, but it soon became clear.

"Oh… yeah!"The entire class looked in the direction of Zell who had literally jumped out of his seat and now stood on his feet. "I love this guy," the blond with spiked hair that stood directly up, as though defying gravity, roared.

"I know," Seifer replied wholeheartedly, running over to where Zell stood, giving him a high five over their heads, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him excitedly over to the table where Rinoa sat, glaring hatefully at their public display of insolence.

"All that because I complained, you two are fucking asking or it," the girl hissed.

"Huh, what did I do," Zell asked aloud, notably confused.

"Ask Seifer," Rinoa said. "And ask yourself; is it worth it, trying to live dangerously? Look at what happened to Squall. Push me too far and you _are _going to meet the same end."

"Yeah yeah," Seifer drawled dismissively.

"Hey. You'd better watch it," Zell warned the arrogant blond. "What did happen to Squall, anyway?"

"He's with Zala's saseko."

"Um… could you speak in words the rest of us understand," Zell asked. "I can never understand what you're talking about when you make up nicknames for everyone."

"You know that pink haired bitch that Athrun Zala loves to parade about?"

"Oh, I know who you mean," Rinoa replied. "That whore he shares around with all his friends. I'm actually not surprised he's so popular in that case. She's actually pretty cute, although I've only ever gotten a look at her face, you know. _With_ her clothes on."

"So your saying she's open," Zell asked, "you know, sexually?"

That's what they say," Rinoa replied.

"And she's good looking?"

"You've never seen her?"

"No."

"Well then, we'll have to go and take a look-see."

"Do you think Squall's had a chance with her yet?"

"I dunno. Maybe," Rinoa answered unsurely.

"I'd wager so," Seifer added. "They were all alone when I saw 'em."

"It's possible that she's taken him in," Rinoa mused aloud. "In that case, he's probably screwing her at every possible opportunity."

"Must you phrase it like that," Zell asked, showing that he was the one in their group with the highest morels.

"Do you really think so," Seifer enquired, ignoring Zell's protest entirely.

"I would," the girl replied, hypothetically putting herself in Squall's situation.

"Really," Seifer asked, smirking in interest.

"Sure, if they're living together, there's no shortage of time, and they've gotta pass it some way. It's not a question of willingness either. I'm sure she's open for it. I wonder who'd be more experienced."

"That's… a good question." Rinoa smirked.

"I wonder… I wonder. Squall, Fllay and I have had our own experiences, and we've learned a lot together, but if the rumours are true, then the same could easily be said about her. This could turn out to be very…" once more, the girl's lip curled upward, "_interesting_."

Looking at her with brow furrowed, Zell asked, "How is this interesting?"

"I wonder what she knows, what she can do," Rinoa continued. Zell wasn't even sure his question had made it through. "It's just a shame that bitch isn't still on my leash. I could have used him for this."

"So what, you're planning on blackmailing her into fucking you? What's wrong Rinoa," Seifer asked in feign insult, "Aren't I enough for you?"

"Clearly not," Rinoa replied dryly. "In fact, you seem to be so bad at the very thing you take pride in that I'm forced to seek solace and physical retribution in those without dicks."

"Ha ha," Seifer replied, feigning dry amusement. "I'm being serious. What are you planning?"

"I just want to find out how sexually informed Squall's new mate is. If she can show me anything new, wouldn't it be worth the effort?"

"Assuming the rumors you heard are all true," Zell added.

"What's that supposed to mean," Rinoa responded.

"You can't really believe everything you hear."

"Says who?"

"Just look at yourself. There's a whole bunch of rumors about _you_ that aren't true. Everyone says that you and Squall are twins, but you're not."

"You seem so sure of that," Rinoa replied slyly."

"Well, I should hope it isn't true."

"What if it is? Would that really be so wrong?"

"Yes! Yes it would," Zell adamantly cried.

"And why do you say that? Plenty of people have their first sexual experiences with their older brothers or sisters."

"True," Zell responded thoughtfully, "but those people also live in trailers, usually located in the southern territories of The United States."

"Don't forget about South Dnaletsaw," Rinoa teased, "That's where Seifer's from.

"Really," Zell asked incredulously.

"Yeah, my family moved up here when I was starting Elementary school."

"Where were you from originally?"

"My Mom was from the States."

"What about your father?"

"Dunno."

"What do you mean?"

"He means his stupid whore of a mother was never able to narrow it down enough to give a reasonable list of possible candidates," Rinoa elucidated.

With the sound of a nearby stool scraping against the hard concrete floor, the three looked over, seeing the source of the disturbance. A forth had graced their lowly table with his presence. Narrowing her eyes, Rinoa darkly asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"Mister Taylor sent me to you guys."

"And why would he do that," Seifer enquired.

"Because he wants us all in groups of four," the new blond replied with an air of superiority. "You _really _should have been listening."

"Oh god, I can't work with this fuckin' arrogant son of a bitch," Rinoa loudly complained.

"And why is that?"

"For one, your voice makes me want to kill myself. For two, you refused to tell me your name when ordered."

"Oh? My name is Sai Argyle, and if anyone is out of place here, it is you. All of us here are blonde. _You_ on the other hand, have common black hair and common brown eyes. Besides that, you are a girl, the _only_ one in fact. Is this not a man's class?"

"Oh, so you're a big man, are you? God, if Fllay were here I wouldn't need to put up with this shit."

"Fllay, you mean Fllay Allster, no doubt," Sai replied.

"If she were sitting here, I'd only have one fucking boy-scout to worry about… Wait, you know Fllay?"

"Why yes, I do."

"So you know the name, do you? Wow, I'm so surprised. I mean, she's only one of the most popular girls in school. How did you ever learn her name? I'm impressed. I think you deserve cookie. Let me see if I have one."

"I can tell that you're mocking me."

"Gee, you must be _really _smart then.

"I'm being serious here. I _really _do know Fllay. She's a friend of mine."

"Then how come she's never mentioned you, and how come I've never seen you before?"

"I couldn't say. I'm one of Miriallia's friends, but _she_ often hangs around with you and Fllay, that's how I know her."

"Ah, so that's it," Rinoa concluded. Now it was beginning to make sense. "Fllay usually takes this class with me, but not this year."

"What's she doing this year?"

"Home Economics."

"I see… that really doesn't sound like her. Fllay has never been interested in cooking, or anything relating to household chores."

"No, but she _is _interested in a guy who takes that class."

"I see. That is not a particularly good reason to take the class, is it?"

"Maybe not, but this way, she's going to at least see him regularly, and chances are they'll have to interact with one another at some point.

Around them, the class continued to make noise, the god-awful racket drowning out people's voices, causing them to talk over the din; in turn, adding to the deafening noise. Metal scraped against metal and hammers banged against objects. It was enough to give anyone a migraine, and should one be already suffering from such an affliction, said complaint would only grow larger and harsher.

What would come was only a matter of time. On one side were the ill-advised, senseless masses commonly found within the confines of a workshop class. On the other, one single girl with a complaint. But not just a girl. Not an ordinary girl. A very special girl. A very particular girl. A powerful girl, from a wealthy family. What would come would not be surprising, merely the effect of an equation working itself out, as these simple things often did.

Rinoa watched while the class did as they chose, while they did as they wanted.

They lacked the sense to do what was right. They lacked the discipline to do that which their minds screamed about and referred to as the 'sensible' thing.

Each and every one of them was a simpleton, banging their hammers together, as Fllay had put it. It was surprising that the class managed to make so much noise, considering it was their first day and they hadn't even received any instructions.

Their teacher appeared to be observing them, simply to see what they would do.

"How can these pricks make so much noise," Rinoa complained. "It's giving me a headache." She looked over to Zell.

"You'd better go and show 'em who's in charge," Seifer added, instructing the spiky haired blonde on what to do, phrasing Rinoa's unsung request.

"And how am I supposed ta…" Zell was cut off by a sudden increase in volume. It was almost as if the class were preventing their conversation from taking place. "Yo," he yelled to the entire room, "shut the fuck up!"

Abruptly, everyone who had been talking, scraping or banging ceased their pointless and thoughtless noisemaking. It was not the request itself, nor the aggressive way in which it had been phrased and delivered, but merely the voice that offered it. Everybody knew that voice, and they knew on whose behalf it had bellowed.

"That did it," Seifer commented. It was true. Now nobody was making any noise. Now, every set of eyes remained on them, one interested set in particular, belonged to their teacher.

Mister Taylor had refrained from giving them any kind of project on this, the first day of the year. He instead wanted to watch his students, to see how they would react, to see what they would do. To see what would happen.

Apparently, he was wise to do so.

The one who captivated his interest in particular, was that black haired student. Not only was she a girl, not only was she the only one in a den of masculinity, she also seemed to be the alpha of the pack.

Everybody in the class silently watched her, to see what she would do next, as though weary of her, as though she were a caged beast, a wild animal, a dangerous creature ready to pounce.

Mister Taylor eyed her with interest. He would have to have a talk with her. He would have to learn her name, find out who she was, and why she was seemingly in a position of leadership.

* * *

**Hello, all you inbred Southern hics out there. As you can see, I didn't forget about you, and Necrofiliac666, should you ever read this: See, the tablespoon **_**is**_** the big one. Even Squall thinks so. I'm going to start writing the next chapter right away, but knowing me, it could be months by the time I actually get it up.**


	8. Same School, New Company part II

**Rock Bottom**

**Disclaimer: **All canon names, places, and characters belong to their respective copyright holders. The plot, setting, original characters and locations belong to me.

**Episode Eight: Same School, New Company, Part II – continuity**

The girl gave a weary sigh as she pushed the mop about the floor. Why was she being subjected to this? The floor was clean! What exactly was the point of mopping up a clean floor? She had wiped down the table and swept up. Why did the _perfectly clean _floor require mopping anyway?

For what reason did the home economics kitchen floor get mopped every period? It must have been the cleanest floor in the world. Honestly, even professional kitchens in first class, five star restaurants didn't get cleaned out this frequently. They were most probably cleaned out no more than once a week, or if the chef were a picky clean-freak, perhaps the kitchen would be cleaned at the end of each day, but surely no more than that. Not every hour. Not after each service, only upon closing for the day.

"This is Maid's work," she complained.

Kira, who happened to be drying dishes at the time, smiled amusedly at the girl's complaints.

"What did she expect?" the brunet wondered aloud. "Then again, cleaning up afterwards has never been a skill of hers." Lacus, who was washing the dishes for him, smiled and nodded. Squall, on the other hand, who was putting them away while the fourth member of their group cleaned the floor, merely shook his head disapprovingly.

"Leave her," he quietly uttered.

"What was that?" Kira enquired, unsure as to whether or not he had even heard anything.

"I said leave her alone," Squall defended. "At least she's doing it. If she wants to waste her breath with tedious and unwarranted complaints, then let her… or are you one of those people who cannot even block out such pointless noise and chatter?" Kira's brow furrowed.

"Why are you defending her," he asked. "Do you even know who she is? Do you know what she's done?"

"Yes… and I take it you're the one she was with last year? The boy who broke up with her during summer?"

"I am. Why should I commit myself to a relationship with someone who doesn't even care about me?"

"I know what happened… and trust me, she did care about you. That girl isn't the one to blame for what happened."

"Wait… you know?" Squall nodded.

"She told me about you."

"Wait… how do you know Fllay?" Squall pondered all of his possible responses, considering how the conversation might play out, running it through his mind like a computer's simulation.

"She is a close friend of Rinoa. When I was in that circle… there were only two whom were even remotely civil towards me. Fllay was one of them."

"You're serious?"

"I wouldn't say that for a joke."

"Who was the other?"

"A friend of Fllay's, but that's not important. Trust me when I say this: Between the girl over there and the she-bitch harpy-queen that's loose somewhere in the school, Fllay is in many ways, very much the lesser of two evils."

"I never would have guessed."

"Of course, while what she did to me could be considered a kindness, from another perspective, it was also a cruelty."

"Cruelty?" Kira asked, "What do you mean?" Lacus was now finished with washing the dishes. After draining the water from this sink, she looked over to them with interest evident in her eyes. She waited patiently for Squall's answer, but when none came, she decided to busy herself with Kira's voluntarily assigned task, so as not to appear intrusive.

She took the second tea towel and began drying the freshly washed dishes on the countertop, working quietly so as not to disturb any possible conversation that may still have been taking place. Should Squall answer, Lacus would be sure to hear it.

Finally, Squall took a deep breath. "One who knows only cruelty will look upon his life and think it normal, if such a standard were to exist. One who knows cruelty but is also subjected to kindness would be given the knowledge that their average life is little more than a facade, that the vile cruelty is just that. The knowledge of kindness makes the void so much harder to accept, so much harder to endure. As the mind screams for comfort, such justifiable cries must be neglected."

"Once again," Lacus commented softly, "your bizarre wisdom sounds to my ears like madness."

"Imagine having a child you are unable to care for," Squall continued. "A child who begs for food and love. What if you were unable to provide _anything_ for that small, helpless being that had become so dependent on you? You would have failed it, would you not? The inability to provide for one's own young is a terrible failure, but so too is the inability to provide for oneself, albeit in a much more vain and self-centred way. As I longed for consolidation, for a reason to satisfy, for a reason to justify my wretched lot in life, I eventually found what I was looking for. I inevitably discovered it for myself."

"And?" the group all paused, waiting on Squall's answer, the end to his story, his pitiful excuse of an anecdote.

"I… _am _wretched. I was undeserving of the simple kindness reserved for others."

"That's insane!" Lacus demanded. "How could you possibly be so hard on yourself? How could you come up with something so moronic?"

"You don't understand," Squall retorted in his calm monotone. "It was the only way for me to survive. It was the only way for me to retain some semblance of sanity."

Leaving the pair speechless, Squall turned his back on them and walked over to see who the group had all decided would be his partner.

"Squall," Fllay began once he had joined her, "I… Um… I heard what you said."

"And…?" Squall asked. Surely she was going somewhere with this. She wasn't after some big reward simply for her ability to hear things, was she?

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for what you said…" Squall's face remained blank, his expression utterly neutral. It unnerved the red haired girl. It made Squall hard to talk to. "Well, um, thanks for defending me."

"Don't thank me for that. I can take over, if you'd like," the brunette gestured to the mop. The floor was clean but now it was very wet. Fllay seemingly needed more practice at picking up water with the mop. She seemed to be spreading it around.

"Oh, I can manage. I'm almost done anyway." Squall nodded his head and rested against the table, offering no argument as he waited.

"Alright," Al said as he came around to the group's table, "you guys finish up and then you can go." Squall nodded and Lacus thanked him, having taken Kira's place as the amethyst eyed boy took over Squall's job of putting everything away.

It wasn't much longer until the group members were all out of the class and each going their own separate ways.

Fllay had gone off in search of her friends. While she wouldn't have minded Squall's company for a while longer, she felt that the others would have something to say about it, as would Rinoa, when she found out.

While she left in search of more suitable companionship, Squall and Lacus had taken to joining Kira on a walk around the school. It wasn't as if Squall had a deep, burning desire to be with the other brunet, he simply couldn't care less. They had told him to follow, and he had. Perhaps he _was _every bit the dog as which Rinoa had constantly called him, just not in the way she had intended.

As Kira saw the rest of the clique, he made his way toward them, and Squall silently excused himself.

It didn't turn out to be the silent, unnoticed exit he had planned, however, as Lacus saw him and excused herself from Kira and the rest of the group to join the solitary brunette.

"Where are you going, Squall?" The brunette merely shrugged his shoulders, as if such an unsatisfactory answer would satiate the pinkette's immaculate curiosity.

"Well, why are you alone, where are you planning on going?" Lacus asked, trying to evoke some kind of response from him. She didn't want the silent treatment from him. She wanted him to talk to her, even if she didn't like the kinds of things he said. She still wanted to hear the sound of his voice. She wanted to know that he thought her worthy of that much at least.

"I… don't know," the brunet honestly replied.

"So then, why did you leave? You could have stayed with us."

"That group of yours is big enough. I'm sure nobody will miss me. You, however… are another story."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They don't want me around. They don't like me, although you are their friend. You should be with them, not me. I don't need anyone's pity, and I don't need you to babysit me. I'm not helpless."

"Aren't you?" Squall paused at that, but soon stepped off once more, picking up his pace. "If not for me, where would you be? You have nothing, am I right?"

"You're wrong."

"Oh?"

"I have… my inheritance."

"Inheritance? What are you talking about?"

"When my father died, he left me a lot of money, but I can't access it until my twenty-first birthday."

"And in the meantime?" Squall sighed.

"I dunno."

"So, you'd be in the gutter, right? Homeless? Living out on the street?"

"Probably…" Squall admitted, "that or dead."

"Then… you owe me. If I were to kick you out of my home…"

"Alright!" Squall hissed, seemingly fed up with Lacus' words. "I'm worthless, pathetic, at your utter mercy. I admit it. What more do you want from me?" Lacus stared at the boy wide-eyed.

"I just… want you to talk to me more."

"…I can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't just open up to someone like that," Squall clarified, snapping his fingers, using the gesture as both a visual and an audio aide, and using it for added emphasis as much as an alternative to a long, unnecessary explanation. Anything else, just tell me what you want, and I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'm a dog. My collar may be hidden, but I'll never be free. You are my handler now, simply command me and I'll obey. I owe you… remember?" Lacus narrowed her eyes distastefully. She didn't like her words being twisted hatefully and then spat back at her with such bitterness and loathing.

"I'm not Rinoa, Squall. All I want… is your friendship."

"Is that why you came with me instead of staying with your friends? You didn't have to."

"You're my friend too, aren't you?"

"I don't have any friends," Squall spat.

"You sound so lonely."

"Sometimes loneliness is the better alternative. It would be so much easier to live alone, unfeeling, without hope and the limited delusions of pleasure and happiness."

"Is this like that story about not missing the joy you've never known?"

"It is the same."

"In that case… I guess what you say makes sense, in a bizarre kind of way, but even so, I don't think that's the best way to live. Without thinking… without feeling… without joy, or hope, or redemption or change… the life of solitude you speak of is not living at all, but merely existing." By now, their walking conversation had brought the pair to the back of the track field, usually empty, save for the rings of smokers and stoners. Today however, such was not the case.

"And here is the proof." Squall would have groaned, but he refused to let his previous master hear such a satisfying sound from him. Once again, just like with Seifer, he knew that voce. He knew exactly to whom that siren's voice belonged, although he wished to Heaven and Hell that he didn't. Squall never could have been considered a religious man, but he'd prey to both Jehovah and Lucifer if he thought it would help, but of course, it wouldn't. It wouldn't do a fucking thing.

The pair turned around to be met with an amused smirk and a pair of brown eyes. "Squall, who is this?" Lacus gingerly asked.

"Aw, how distressing, Squall, you didn't even tell your new mistress about me?"

"Mistress?" Lacus furrowed her brow in both confusion and distaste. "What do you mean?" She maintained her air of ignorance, but underneath her uninformed exterior, she was beginning to piece it all together. The dark haired girl had already given away two major hints, one for each time she maliciously opened her mouth. Lacus was sure she knew whom this was, but she said nothing, lest she be mistaken, caught jumping at unfounded suspicions.

The brown eyed girl looked from Lacus, to Squall. "She's not very bright, is she? I guess it must be all the chemicals from her hair dye bleeding into her brain.

"I _don't _colour my hair, it's natural," Lacus argued.

"Is that so?" the brown eyed girl asked, looking back to Squall. "Are you buying this?"

"If she says her hair colour is natural, I believe her."

"Really… didn't think you were so naïve. You're getting soft." The girl shrugged her shoulders, "well, softer than usual. And here I was thinking that you couldn't possibly be as daft and gullible as your replacement." Squall's eyes suddenly widened.

"Replacement?"

"I'll bet you're dying to know whom it is. Well, you're going to have to earn it. I don't know about your new mistress, but I'm not willing to give that sensitive information away for free."

"It's Seifer… isn't it?"

"Yeah," the dark haired girl bitterly answered, her game ruined. "Who told you?"

"He did."

"Who, Seifer?"

"Yeah. He approached me to rub that in my face… that you had moved on so soon."

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, he's not quite up to my preferred standard of excellence. What about you, can you say the same about your new _mistress?" she_ looked back to Lacus. What's crawled up your ass?" she asked in response to Lacus' expression.

"Would you… _kindly _stop referring to me as Squall's mistress?"

"Why not, don't you like such a word? Would you prefer lover? Concubine? What about whore? Fucker? Cum bucket?"

"Shut up!" Lacus demanded.

"Well Squall," the other girl asked, ignoring the distressed pinkette completely. "What's she like when you get her alone?" Squall looked away, making sure not to meet Lacus' eye. What the pinkette thought of him now, he didn't even want to know. "What can she do, is she better than me?"

"I wouldn't know," Squall replied, trying to both end this conversation and spare Lacus as much humiliation as he could, allowing her to retain any dignity she might still possess. "Our relationship… it's not like that. She may have let me stay in her house, but that's it."

"So what, you don't even share a bed?"

"No. I have my own room. I don't know where she sleeps."

"Oh, so you're not open to new things then?" The girl touched a finger to Lacus' cheek, trailing it down to her jaw. She closed in on the other girl, bringing their faces together. They were close enough to feel the warmth of the other's breath. "How… disappointing," she breathed softly, seductively.

Rinoa pressed her lips softly to those of the pinkette, but haltered and pulled back at the other's apprehension. That was hardly a real kiss, and the raven haired girl would normally have pressed on, forcefully, if need be, but this was intriguing.

Rinoa found the pink haired girl's pseudo-innocence endearing. It added to her cuteness, like the sweet, innocent girl next door who poses for an erotic photo shoot. "What's wrong, don't tell me you fear the intimacy of another girl. Don't worry; I can be quite gentle when I want to be, just ask Squall," she persuaded, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"I don't know what you've heard about me," Lacus responded, unsuccessfully trying to keep the equal values of shock and anger from her speech, "but whatever it is, you've been misinformed."

"I know you're not a virgin." Lacus' eyes widened, and the breath caught in her throat. "Why pretend you're not even a little interested? I know all about you, Lacus Clyne. You are no different from me."

"I am _nothing_ like you, and as for the rumours, they are all false."

"As are most of those about me, see how much we have in common? There is much I could teach you, and I am sure you could teach me. Would you not even think about it?"

"Never."

"Not even for Rinoa Caraway?"

"Of course not!"

"Not even for me? I'm disappointed. I truly am."

"So, it is you, after all," Lacus said, speaking in a level tone after taking time to compose herself. She had known it was her, and now the brown eyed girl had confirmed it. "You are Rinoa Caraway, the girl who prides herself on her attempt to sleep her way around her entire grade. Rinoa Caraway, daughter of Fury Caraway, business rival of Patrick Zala."

"Yeah, but I don't give a shit about that. Kindly leave my boring old man out of this."

"You are Rinoa Caraway, the person who singlehandedly made Squall's life a living hell and turned what I'm sure was once a sweet young child into a bitter, loathsome, festering bowel of complexes."

"Um… you may want to keep it down. He's right beside you, you know."

"I know that! I also know what you did to him. You broke him. You took away his compassion, his trust, his warmth. He doesn't even _want _to feel after what you did to him. Sometimes, I get the feeling that he'd rather dig himself a ditch and die, that he'd rather be buried alive, or drowned at sea, that he'd rather die _alone _than continue living… and guess what?

"You're going to tell me anyway, I'm sure."

After what you did to him, I really can't find it in my heart to blame him. I hate to come off as vain, but I get the feeling that until the end of the summer break we just had, Squall had never had a single happy moment in his life. Not one, in sixteen years! I know it's little more than speculation, but just to give off that impression… it's terrible. _You're terrible._"

"But now it's all better, right?"

"Yeah. He's with me now. If we're lucky, maybe I can help him to undo some of the damage you did. Even if I can't, at least I know he's in good hands now. We found him at the lake, where you outright abandoned him."

"And then you accepted him with open arms."

"That's right. I accepted him with open arms, whereas the best you had to offer were open legs." At this, Rinoa's eyes narrowed, dangerously so.

"How dare you speak to me like that, like an equal?"

"How dare I? How dare _you!_ Look at the way you've treated Squall! You've ruined him, broken him."

Rinoa slapped the foolish pink-haired girl. "You have no right to speak to me this way."

"You want to talk about rights? What about Squall's rights? What about the equality and kindness that Squall deserves? What about everything you did to him? Every time you talked down to him, every abuse you pushed onto him. Where were his rights then?" Rinoa smiled.

"What are you talking about? Squall doesn't have any rights, and he never has, not since he first stepped through the gates of Caraway Mansion. He's a dog, and that's all he'll ever be. He made a nice pet, and he had his uses, I'll admit; but he was a dog, nothing more." Lacus' immediate reaction was to return a harsh slap across Rinoa's cheek. She seriously believed what she was saying. The pinkette could scarcely believe it. Rinoa wasn't merely being cruel. The sociopath seriously believed the poison that she spread. She actually believed the acidic venom that passed through her lips. Everything she said about Squall, she had accepted as truth.

"How dare you talk about Squall like that? How _dare you!"_

"How dare you talk to _me_ like that? How dare you _touch_ me?" Rinoa turned her back on them. "I can't believe I was even _interested_ in a cheap slut like you."

"Talk about pot calling the kettle black." Rinoa turned around once more.

"Talk about sugar-coating shit. No matter how exquisitely you dress it, it still tastes of excrement, and that is a taste I could do without."

"Oh, so you do draw the line at scat then? And here I thought you were one of those vulgar hedonistic types whom are open for anything.

With all being said, Rinoa left once more. "You are beneath me," she uttered as a passing farewell, "both of you."

The two stood there, unable to speak, unable to move. They simply stood and watched, watched as Rinoa walked away from them, watched as she walked the victor, watched as she left them.

They had been brushed off by her so easily, deemed unworthy of her. The conversation with her was totally unpleasant, but in a way, it was a relief. Now that it was over, they didn't have to worry about her anymore, and perhaps with that little smidgelet of closure, Squall could finally begin to move on.

"Squall," Lacus asked, her voice seeming distant. Looking to Squall, she saw his eyes closed, a pained expression darkened his features. "Squall, are you alright?" Miraculously, his eyes opened and the expression was gone, his face instantly wiped clean.

"I'm fine," Squall commented, his voice completely level, completely calm. It was a monotone, void of anything, utterly empty. So emotionless, so cold, so inhuman.

"She… she hurt you, didn't she? You know, when she abandoned you? She was so cruel to you, yet deep down, you really did care for her, didn't you?"

"You're mistaken. I feel nothing for the harpy-queen."

"Nothing?" Lacus asked incredulously.

"Any shadow of emotion that I may have ever felt for her is naught but bitterness and hatred."

"So then you do feel something for her? You are hurt; one way or another, she hurt you, either by her betrayal, or simply all those years of cruelty, you have a strong tie to her. A tie of hatred is still a powerful thing, although a very negative and hurtful thing."

"…Whatever."

"Um, hey, Squall? I'm sorry about that."

"About what?"

"You know, about losing my temper. When Rinoa was here. I'm sorry about all that I said about you." Squall sighed.

"Just… forget about it. There's no need to apologise for that."

"I said too much, I know I did, but I couldn't stop myself. She just made me so angry and I completely lost it. Seeing her and knowing what she did to you, what she turned you into… it kind of reminded me of how I've been treating you, you know?" Squall looked at her inquisitively.

"You've shown me nothing but kindness. You let me stay with you, even though we do nothing but fight like an old married couple."

"Yeah," Lacus laughed, "we do, don't we… but that's what I'm talking about," the girl clarified. Her face and voice shone in all seriousness now. "Even when we first met, I acted pretty cold towards you. I didn't trust you at all and… I don't think that made you feel very welcome, did it?"

"Not particularly," Squall answered, "but that doesn't matter. I was a complete stranger. You were right not to trust me. I could have been a thief or a murderer or a rapist or anything." Lacus' eyes widened at that response. He was right. "It was fortunate for me that you let me in to your house at all. In your position, I doubt I could have done the same. I just don't have that kind of capacity to trust people."

A long silence ensued, before Squall eventually saw fit to break it.

"Did you mean… what you said? You know, about me being broken?"

"Yes… Rinoa… she broke you, ruined you, but if I can, I want to fix you. I want to help you. That is… if you'll let me."

"You make me sound like an old rusted machine… but if you can put up with the worst I have to offer… maybe you can help me. If you really want to, then I'll let you." Lacus nodded, giving him one of her sweet, closed-eyed smiles.

"I think… we both need to open up and trust each other more. We need to talk and share more. I know it's hard for you, and it kind of is for me too, unless I'm already fairly close to the person in question." Squall nodded. "You know," Lacus continued, "It's actually hard for me to believe that you were really a Caraway."

"I was a different person then, in many ways. I had to be, it was the only way for me to survive."

"Oh… I see."

"I was a very different person. I did things that I'm not particularly proud of. I endured it all. I even enjoyed it. I did what was expected of me – which wasn't a lot, and what was directed of me… what was directed at me. I became Rinoa's pet, her play-thing. I was her goddamned slave! The Squall you see before you is not the one that Rinoa knew. That Squall is dead. The person you see standing before you was born in a cabin at the lake, when I met Cagalli."

"That seems very complicated."

"I knew you wouldn't understand."

"No, I think I do. People can change, although it's usually for the worse, not the better."

"I don't know if this really is for the better. I've been reflecting over my actions. I've become volatile and brooding. I'm constantly snapping at you and lashing back at you, and all you're doing is trying to befriend me… but I don't deserve you: Your friendship, or your kindness."

"That's where you're wrong, Squall. You're a good person, I know you are, but the good in you is buried by a dark exterior: your pain, your bitterness, anger, resentment, shame. These things together, combined with your pride has given you a sense of cold, harsh independence. You don't let people in, and you're so hard on yourself."

"There's a reason for that. I decided some time ago to become my own worst enemy, to be my own toughest critic."

"So… you're a perfectionist?"

"Not quite. It's like a defence mechanism. I made sure that whatever Rinoa or anyone else could do to me; I could do to myself ten times worse."

"You're not… masochistic, are you?"

"No… I did it to lessen the blow."

"What are you talking about?"

"Whatever Rinoa did to me, since I've already experienced far worse by my own hand, it wouldn't be so bad. It would lessen the blow… Rinoa would be unable to harm me to her black heart's content. It would be as if wearing protective padding to a beating. I would have a higher pain threshold. Immagine training with an athlete in preparation to a fight with a schoolboy."

"That… I don't know what to say to that."

"It may sound insane, but it worked. The last couple of years with Rinoa were endurable. She was unable to inflict on me the pain that she so desired, but while I could endure her various torments, I couldn't escape them completely… until she released me."

"But… she abandoned you. She left you to die."

"True, and I likely would have, if not for Athrun and the others who happened to be at Lake Noissap at the time. If they hadn't found me, there's no doubt in my mind that I would have died, be it by nature, or my own hand. The giver of mercy is irrelevant."

"So, the way you are now… it's entirely self-inflicted?"

"No. Ultimately, it comes down to Rinoa's treatment of me. She must take a majority of the responsibility and blame. I became this repugnant, avoidant monstrosity in order to protect myself."

"I don't think that's the case. I don't think you are to blame at all. One cannot simply change their personality using their own force of will."

"I disagree. With enough will-power, it is possible to make yourself love or hate almost anything. Think of it as self-induced peer-pressure."

"Is that truly what you believe?" Lacus asked.

"It is."

* * *

Upon releasing a pent-up breath of air, Miriallia felt a little better. While the brunette didn't hate this class by any means, Chemistry was not one of her favourites; a fact that was worsened by the existence of another: That of teachers who relentlessly called upon her to give answers at every possible opportunity, despite the class full of other students who could be called upon for the exact same purpose.

Miriallia was not looking forward to another year like the last. Unfortunately, it seemed like she'd have the same teacher as last time, although some of the students were new faces. That: She couldn't deny.

So trapped within her musings she was, that she hadn't at all noticed the room filling about her. Such was the cause of her most recent jump. It had startled her, shocked her, surprised her.

But it was not an unwanted occurrence, or perhaps it was, but even so, it was very much a pleasant one.

That voice, so soft and civil amongst the tactless yelling of Dnaletsaw. That accent, so adorable, marking her as an outsider, so different from the garbled bastardisation of murdered English that had become the primary dialect of the degenerate filth of Dnaletsaw.

That heavenly accent, those bright green eyes, that flawless skin, so cosily wrapping the newcomer's petite frame. Those bright green eyes, shining like emeralds. The refinement of her touch as her fingers gently tapped Miriallia's shoulder after her voice had failed to capture its intended target's attention.

Miriallia sat speechless, in possible awe of the girl before her. "I'm sorry… did you… want something?" The other girl seemed dejected. Her movements became apprehensive, nervous, as if being judged by so many eyes, so many mouths, all filled to overflowing with judgments and insults. Miriallia did not understand. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, um… never mind," the girl replied, speaking oh-so softly, once more using that heart-warmingly endearing accent of hers.

"Are you sure?" Miriallia asked, understandably sceptical. This girl had gone through all the trouble to get her attention, and now he was telling her to simply forget about it? What was her problem exactly?

"Don't worry. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Miriallia sighed. She couldn't stay mad at this girl. "Hey, would you want to… sit with me?" Even as she uttered the foul words, she could sense their putrid awkwardness, but by that time, it was too late and they couldn't have been taken back.

Fortunately, the girl didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't mind. Not at all. On the contrary, she flashed a smile. She looked relieved, ecstatic, excited, delighted.

"Really?" she asked as if it were the most unbelievable, the most generous gesture ever given. Why that was, Miriallia couldn't figure out. "You mean you're not saving that seat for anyone?" With a depressive glance to the empty seats on either side of her, Miriallia sighed. She hated classes that separated her from her friends. Nobody liked being alone.

"No… I don't think so." She gestured for the girl to sit, and she did, almost instantly. She pulled out the seat by the window and sat next to the kind girl.

Desks in this class were arranged in groups of three, arranged in rows, going from the front of the class, all the way to the back. Cross-referencing that, in a way, they also went across the class in three sets of three desks, one on the left side of the class, one on the right, and one in the middle, creating isles between the broken rows.

With Miriallia sitting in the middle seat of the left-most row in the back third of the class, the other girl sat to her left, right next to the window.

In the chaotic classroom, their teacher made no sign of showing herself. It wasn't like her to be late, and in her absence, it wasn't long before Miriallia found her eyes drifting over to her left, over to the girl beside her. It wasn't long before she found herself absentmindedly staring at the girl, shamelessly gazing at her, unintentionally studying her, tracing every curve of her face, as well as those of her body that could be seen through her tight uniform.

Despite the girl's small frame, the uniform still managed to cling tightly to her, as if it were a size too small. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, either. It actually complimented her figure. Not many could say that about their uniform… except for Rinoa perhaps… and Maybe Fllay.

Miriallia didn't know how long she had been staring at the girl, taking in her cheekbone, her jaw, her ear, her nose, her green eyes, her smile… nor did she know how long the girl had been aware of the one-sided staring competition.

"Uh, sorry," she uttered, feeling quite embarrassed.

"It's alright," the other girl replied kindly, using that accent, that lovely accent. Miriallia adored that accent, that voice. If only it could be processed, bottled, and sold, but perhaps that would merely cheapen its value.

"So, um… you never told me your name."

"Selphie," the girl replied. "Selphie Tillmit."

"Right, I'll remember it. You're British, right?"

"How did you guess?"

"Your accent."

"Oh, right," Selphie replied, her smile fading. "I guess it's a little different from what you guys are all used to over here right? I guess I can sort of understand why you wouldn't like it."

"No, it's cute. I love your accent," Miriallia argued, freezing as she read the other girl's startled reaction, feeling sure that she had said something wrong, that she had stepped over the line somewhere."

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do."

"Thanks," Selphie said, smiling once more.

"So, am I correct in assuming that you're new?"

"Yeah. My family just moved here during summer."

"Then I guess you haven't seen the lake yet."

"Lake?"

"Yeah, it's great over there. People sometimes camp there over summer."

"Oh… maybe… maybe you could show me sometime."

"Sure… so, where did you live before?"

"Before?"

"Yeah, you said you just moved here. Where were you before? Were you in England or something?"

"I was born in northern England, but I haven't seen the homeland since I was a little girl. I can't really remember it. We've been moving around from colony to colony."

"So you've seen a lot of places then? I guess Dnaletsaw doesn't really compare?"

"Not aesthetically, no."

So where were you living before you came here?"

"Well, we were in Rome for a while, and then we visited Japan over the summer before arriving here." The girl smiled, as though something amused her. "Our stuff actually arrived to our new home before we did."

"So today is…" Miriallia thoughtfully began, "your first day at a new school, right?"

"Yeah."

"So have you made any friends yet?"

"Well,"

"Because you're welcome to come with me if you want."

"Would it just be us or…"

"No, there's a group."

"Oh," Selphie replied, feeling slightly anxious about the prospect. "How many?"

"Well, sometimes the group can get kind of big, but sometimes it's just the three of us."

"Who?"

"Just me and two girls I know. I've been friends with them since grade school."

"Do you think they would like me?" Selphie asked. She wasn't sure about this. To tell the truth, she really hadn't made any friends since coming here. Miriallia was the only person who'd been kind to her. She even said that she liked her accent. Most of the people she'd met so far had immaturely insulted and antagonised her for it, as well as her origin. It seemed that people here didn't happen to think a remarkable lot of the British Empire.

As the brunette pondered, the sound of an object hitting the carpeted floor beneath them brought them both back to reality. Looking for the source of the interruption, two sets of eyes both spotted it. A pen, on the ground, under the desk.

"I'll get it," Miriallia offered, reaching down for the pen, only to find another just beside it. Picking up them both, she examined them. The one on the right was undoubtedly hers, but as for the other… To whom did it belong? Was it Selphie's? Or was it Miriallia's lucky day?

"I'll be taking that back," a voice called out to her as a tanned hand lifted the pen from her grip, holding it between his index and middle fingers, like a cigarette.

Upon recognition, Miriallia's eyes narrowed into a scowl. "You again," she uttered loathsomely.

"Hey, is that any way to greet the man who saved your life earlier today?"

"I still haven't forgiven you for that."

"Oh? I didn't realize it was my fault that you couldn't keep your grip on the rope in gym class."

"You didn't have to grope me _afterwards_" Miriallia hissed.

"Hey, that was my reward," the dark skinned blond grinned, taking the unoccupied seat in the girl's row. He was bold, this one. That much was clear, and the girls would agree. There was no denying that he perspired confidence. "Whoa, I didn't know you had a twin," he commented, noting the resemblance that the two girls shared.

"What?" Selphie asked, not having noticed it herself. Neither had Miriallia, coincidently.

"Hey, what's with that accent," the blond jested, though the joke lost all humour once he saw the hurt expression on the brunette's face. "Hey, what is it," He asked, seriously.

"If you make fun of her accent…" Miriallia dangerously warned.

"Hey," the blond defended, raising his arms in self-defence, "I was just joking. I didn't mean it, okay? What's your name, anyway?" he asked, reaching in front of Miriallia so he could extend his hand out to the new face.

This was not an act that went unnoticed by the British brunette. To reach in front of someone, and to ask for a name before first introducing himself… this young man clearly had appalling conduct, at least in terms of chivalry and class. Then again, so did everyone else in this school. Perhaps the entire country was like this. "Um… I'm Selphie," she answered.

"Great, I'm Dearka… and you?" he asked the girl in the middle after Selphie had shaken his hand."

"You mean you don't even know who I am?" Miriallia asked, quite surprised."

"Hey, I know your face… and some of your body…" Miriallia didn't know whether to blush or hit the scoundrel with her elbow. Instead, she maintained her straight face. "Could you at least tell me your name?" The girl let out a sharp sigh before answering.

"It's Miriallia, my name."

"Great, now we all know each other. Isn't that much better?"

"No, not really," Miriallia boredly replied.

"Okay, chemistry!" their teacher said as he walked in the room, strolling past the students on his way to the front of the class. Once he reached his desk, he placed his books and folders down and faced his class. As they observed his appearance, his bald head, bespectacled eyes, scrawny body, brown pointed goatee… as the students all took in his appearance, not one of them heard the mumbled obscenities which were uttered under his breath.

"Who's this guy?" Dearka asked.

"How should we know?" Miriallia snapped back. This teacher had to be new. That was the most logical explanation. Either that or the brunette had simply never laid eyes on him before.

"Hey hey, no need to get snippy, I was just asking a question. You know, I think you should be a little more grateful to me for saving you earlier," the blond teased.

"Oh, don't you even bring that up again!"

"Oh yes, I think I will. You owe me for that, and you can start by… oh, I don't know, being nice. No more snapping at me."

"From what I recall," Miriallia replied, "You already tasted your…. _Reward_, as you put it."

"You two over there," their teacher, who had introduced himself as Dr Thaddeus S Venture, pointed to the two talking students, while his other hand massaged his throbbing temples. "Separate!"

With a sigh, Miriallia apologised and did as she was bid, moving to an empty seat at the back of the class, secretly thankful for the excuse to move, thankful that she would no longer have to endure the arduous task of sitting beside Dearka Elthman.

As she got settled in, she rested her face in her hand and gazed on as their teacher explained the work and content they would be studying for that year.

"Too bad," Dearka muttered, keeping his voice down, but speaking loud enough so that Selphie could hear him."

"Excuse me?" the brunette asked, unsure of the young man's meaning.

"It looks like now it's just the two of us."

"We are not alone here, and we are in the middle of class."

"Hey, take it easy, no need to get so defensive. I'm not gonna try anything, I'm just saying…"

"I'm not defensive, and just what are you saying, exactly?"

"Well, with Miriallia gone, I'm gonna have to talk to you."

"Am I your only option? I'm sorry about that."

"No, that's not what I mean…" Dearka sighed. "You sure aren't making this easy for me, you know that?"

"I'm sorry?"

"What's with that accent?" the blond asked once more. Selphie couldn't tell whether he was serious or simply trying to get a rise out of her. She wondered what Miriallia would do in her position. Deciding that ignoring the blond would serve her best, she decided to act.

Despite Selphie's continued ignorance, Dearka felt no reservations about continuing his nonsensical yabbering, his nonsensical, whimsical jesting, his incessant, tactless joking. Sure, it was impossible for Dearka to leave her alone, she knew this. Selphie knew that it was not an option for the blond to leave her entirely, but for him to simply leave her alone, for him to leave her be. Was it truly such a big ask?

Despite her forced walk of shame to the back of the class, Selphie couldn't help but think that Miriallia had gotten off easy. Now she was sitting on her own, but on the plus side, she was on her own, away from the constant annoyances of Dearka. In her uncontrollable escape, the brunette had left Selphie in her place, alone with the grating blond.

It was all she could do just to ignore him, and she realized her disadvantage in the predicament. While Dearka could continue to annoy her, she could do nothing in lieu of retaliation. Her only option was to sit there and take it, to ignore, but annoyances, even tedious ones, could only be endured for so long before they broke through whatever mental fortification one could erect.

On the other hand, Dearka had no such problem. He could simply keep probing her with his jokes, his jests, his puns; his quips, his words. Indeed, anything and everything he had. She didn't know what he was trying to accomplish, and likely never would. All she could do was hope that he soon ran out of things to say, but that seemed impossible.

Looking to their bald-headed teacher, she noticed him addressing the class, talking about something or other. She didn't mean to tune him out, but couldn't find it in her to listen. It seemed she couldn't pay attention to the lesson while ignoring the blond pest beside her at the same time.

"Uh, excuse me, Mister um… Venture?" one of the students asked, raising their hand in the air.

"Doctor," the teacher corrected.

"Uh… what?"

"It's Doctor, not mister. Doctor Venture."

"If you're a doctor, what are you doing teaching chemistry at a high school?" The teacher sighed.

"Look, this wasn't exactly my first choice, okay?" Looking around the class, he gave a sigh. Mexico _had_ to have been a better decision than this, but it wasn't exactly a viable option. Not now. Not anymore.

"Uh, so, are we getting text books this year?"

"Oh yeah, I'm supposed to hand those out, right?" He lifted a box filled with text books from under his desk and pulled out the first book contained within. He opened it and ruffled through the pages for a minute. The contents seemed simple enough, even for school kids. "This is what you guys are doing?" he asked incredulously. The education system of this country was evidently a few years behind that of the USA. "Oh well, never mind. Everyone get in line." When nobody did as instructed, the teacher arched an eyebrow. "What is it now? Line up in front of my desk. Don't you want your text books…? Wait," he added, hurriedly, "don't answer that."

"That's not how it's done. You're supposed to hand them out, we don't come at get them."

"What?" Venture asked, perplexed by the lazy regime these students seemed to have lodged themselves into. Next they'd be complaining that they have to walk from class to class when it was obviously _so_ much easier for them to all stay in their initial class while the teachers go around from room to room. "I didn't go to college so I could walk around desks all day handing out books to teenagers!" he hysterically demanded.

"Did you go to College so you could teach them science?" one particular loud-mouthed blond boy dryly asked. Venture made a mental note to remember his name. Along with the stress and responsibility of teaching, came the power of marking and grading. A smirk erupted on his face as he thought of his newfound power. He could flunk any and every one of these kids for any reason he liked. That ought to teach the little brats some respect.

* * *

Tall, yet not stiff, slouched, head hanging from his shoulders, long arms, hands stashed absentmindedly into pockets. Unkempt brown hair flowing down over his face.

Squall walked at a moderate pace, following the pink haired girl in front of him. It made sense after all. They shared every class, and they'd agreed to be more open and close, like friends were supposed to be, or, at least the way Squall assumed friends were supposed to be. The way they were in books. Never having had a real one in his life, he wouldn't know. Not for sure, anyway.

Was Lacus now to be considered a friend? Yes, Squall supposed she was. She was giving him so much, and in return, she just wanted his friendship. For all she had given already, her reward was to give a little more, and receive Squall's friendship in kind.

She was so selfless. The polar opposite of Rinoa. The polar opposite of Squall.

He didn't deserve this, so why did he receive it? Was it retribution for his time with Rinoa? Did Lacus pity him? Did he interest her, fascinate her the way swarming insects or amoebae fascinate a scientist with a microscope?

He didn't know what her reason was, but for now, he could live with the ignorance. He let the pinkette lead. He preferred to follow, rather than walk in front, in a position of leadership. God knew that Squall was no leader, and he never would be.

"Hey, Lacus," a voice called out. Looking across the hall to the source of the disturbance, they saw the emerald-eyed bluenette.

"Athrun," Lacus greeted.

"Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Lacus replied, smiling sweetly, the way she always did. "Right Squall?"

Why did they have to bring him into the conversation like that? The brunet looked between the two and briefly nodded his head before going back to idly standing around. Although his natural instinct may once have been to leave the two alone and give them privacy, Rinoa had surgically removed that from him without the use of latex gloves or sterilized equipment. He'd wait for the pinkette, for however long she'd take. It wouldn't come to it, but if she were late, he'd be late also. They'd be late together.

Whatever people assumed from such a thing would be entirely up to them. People were stupid; always assuming, always gossiping, and always talking.

Always talking, never thinking. As for Squall, he was someone who could be described by the exact opposite.

"So, are you guys in there?" Athrun asked, nodding his head in the direction of the nearest classroom. "

"Oh, yes," Lacus responded.

"Well, so am I. It looks as though we have class together. What about you, Squall?" The brunet slowly shifted his gaze over.

"I'm with her," he dully answered. Athrun nodded.

"Well, we might as well all go in together, then."

As if his word were final, he and Lacus went in, followed by Squall.

Once in the classroom, the three found a seat, Squall sitting with them for no real justifiable reason. He was already walking with them anyway, so he may as well sit with them too. The desks were arranged in groups of three, after all. There probably wouldn't be a problem. Not unless another of their friends were to show up.

If Yzak were to walk in, he might be requested to switch seats with someone, but other than that, he couldn't see anything being wrong with the seating arrangements. They were positioned in the centre of the class. Lacus sat in the middle, with Athrun on her left. To his left was an aisle, and then, near the wall, there was another row of three, Squall sat on Lacus' right, another row of three past the aisle to his right.

Although none among them happened to be talking, an air of silence seemed to come between them. The air had grown heavy, and walking down the aisle to Squall's right was the cause. His eyes widened and his breath hitched. He had not been expecting her to be in this class, and judging by Lacus' reaction, neither had she.

Apparently, it was just too much to ask for the school to keep Rinoa away from them, in different classes.

Passing them without a word, Rinoa took a seat in the back. She refused to even look at the three. Squall slumped in his seat slightly, resting his head in his hands. This was too much. Why did Rinoa have to be in this class too? School was bad enough without having to put up with the harpy-queen on a daily basis again. Why couldn't the administrators have separated the two during their classes? They had clearly tried to keep the incestulant twins apart for most of the day. For the morning, at least. Why not keep it true for the entire school day? Surely it would have been better to have all or nothing, not this half-in-half crap.

Lacus, on the other hand, merely seemed relieved that Rinoa had not caused them any trouble, while Athrun appeared not to have noticed. His attention remained solely on the door, eyes on the lookout for more entrants into the class. Surely his friends had to be coming soon. A prospect that was certain to disappoint.

After a few more unrecognisable, unimportant class entrants, their teacher finally entered the class and proposed a new seating plan.

The sound of chalk on an archaic blackboard clacked about the room, invading the minds of students, letting each of them know what kind of class this was. The musty smell of old carpet mixed with that of the decaying white stick as it was gradually ground down to the nub.

So old-fashioned.

A chalk board, in this day and age.

A chalk board, how quaint.

Letting the thoughts run over him like ripples in the toe-deep water of a shore, Squall began to fidget with his pen, rolling it between his middle and index fingers, feeling the smooth, plastic ebony.

Closing his eyes to the murmuring about him, Squall was able to hear all kinds of whispered statements.

"She did not."

"So then, I pulled up at her house…"

"I'm serious. They were twins. Twins!"

"It was about one AM when I took her to the Motel. _You_ know the one."

"Looks like You're up there. If this is alphabetical, then I'll be sitting in the back."

Wait… someone who spoke of the matter at hand? Someone talking of the unnecessarily prudent seating plan? Surely this must have been some kind of miracle.

It was Athrun who had spoken. But to whom was his comment directed? Lacus, most likely.

A sharp gasp was next to break the silence, and if that had not been enough to wake Squall from his reverie, the gentle poke his ribs had just received would be.

He slowly turned his head to face her. His eyes were narrowed somewhat, expression contorted into a frown, lips slightly pursed. His deep blue eyes bored holes into a less intense, periwinkle set of those same ocular sensory organs.

"I don't envy you Squall," the pinkette spoke. As the brunet to whom she was speaking narrowed his eyes further, in confusion this time, Lacus decided to clarify. "Your seat has been revealed." Squall nodded. "You're with Rinoa." He took a moment to process this, and after a long moment of silence, he at last spoke.

With a sigh, Squall delivered his despondent reply. "Of course I am."

It wasn't long before the sound of clacking chalk ceased and the new seating arrangement had taken effect. Students shuffled to their newly allocated places, some of them grumbling. Others, silent. A few even seemed grateful, having been placed with friends or otherwise beneficial students.

It seemed that squall would be on the right side of the class, sitting in the second row from the front, right next to Rinoa. Sitting on her right. On Squall's right was a student he had never met before. A girl with long, straight brown hair parted on the right side.

Curious green eyes watched from behind Rinoa's brown ire as Squall approached the space between them that was to be his new home for the year. Similar to his old place, at Rinoa's right hand. He didn't know what to make of the brunette, but Rinoa was bad enough to cover up any kindness and good intention the other girl may have potentially possessed.

According to the seating plan, Lacus was to be in the seat behind Squall. It was a minor consolation to know that she was at least nearby, even if she weren't located in the same row, though Squall would have preferred her to be in front, rather than behind, yet he couldn't help but think she would rather remain where she was.

Stealing a glance toward the brunette on his right, Squall was able to take in several aspects of her appearance. Her long, right-side parted hair trailed down her back, but at the front, was cut into side swept bangs that reached almost to her left eyebrow.

Her untanned, olive complexion was not quite as pale as the skin of Rinoa or Lacus, but nor was it the colour of someone who spent their days at the beach. And unlike Rinoa, there was no thin eyeliner adorning her. She had a face that required little make-up, and its absence was in no way a tragic loss.

She seemed to have a kind face. An honest, modest face. She made him think of Lacus, but appearances could be so deceiving. Squall's time with Rinoa had taught him that. The harpy-queen may not have looked like it, but she was an unrivalled mistress of deception. Especially when she needed to be, or when there was something she desired.

The girl snapped Squall out of his thoughts when she abruptly shifted her gaze over to him, as if having sensed the brunet's stare on her. Squall quickly looked away, although he knew it was already too late. The girl had seen him. The damage was done.

Turning his attention to the front, he heard Rinoa's contemptuous snicker.

"Fuckin' pathetic," she whispered to him. It was reminiscent of old times, back when Squall was Rinoa's lapdog. She'd never made him wear a literal collar, although considering everything, it was actually a wonder. Perhaps the girl had never thought of it, or was there another reason?

Either way, it mattered little. That was in the past now. There was no point in thinking about it.

Pushing it to the overcrowded space in the back of his mind, Squall tried instead to focus on the squat man standing before them all. He was explaining something or other. Something dull, no doubt. This _was_ a math class, after all. And numbers had never particularly interested the brunet.

As he attempted to empty his mind and focus, he was distracted yet again, this time by a voice on his right. "Um, you're Squall… right?" The brunet turned to face his neighbour.

The Girl with green eyes looked upon him coyly, and with curiosity. How did she know him? Was she one of Rinoa's acquaintances? Squall turned to the girl on his left, who was also looking to him with evident curiosity.

"Is she part of your clique?" the brunet asked.

Rinoa, who had been watching the dull exchange with mild interest, returned Squall's gaze with curiosity. "I don't know her," the girl responded. She was equally oblivious as to who this girl was and why she was talking to Squall.

Turning back, Squall asked, "How do you know me?" To this, the girl gave a coy smile.

"I can't imagine many people at this school who _don't_ know you… except for maybe the new freshman students." It was true. Being Rinoa's dog would likely have earned him quite the reputation. It made sense that people would at the very least know his face, having been regularly seen amongst those of one of the school's two largest cliques.

Even should the high school populace not place it to him, they would surely know his name. It went so nicely with the pathogenic rumours of he and Rinoa being lovers, on a physical level at least. There were also the rumours that the two were siblings.

As the three had conversed in their own way, none among them had happened to notice the squat teacher slowly, but steadily approach.

As Squall turned his head back to face the front, he was surprised to have a sheet of paper placed under his nose. The girls to either side of him also received theirs. Three identical, blank sheets of clean, white paper.

"What the hell is this?" Rinoa asked the teacher.

"If you had been listening," he replied, "you would have heard me tell you that it is a test."

"Wait, we have to take a test on the first day?"

"Yes. Without testing, how may we know what we have learned?"

"But it's the first day. We haven't _learned_ _anything_ yet!"

"That is why it is a pre-test. I want to see what you _do_ know." After handing out the papers to each and every one of his students, he addressed the class. "You may begin."

"How much time do we have?" One student asked.

"Time is a distraction. You do not need to know."

"But –"

"You are wasting time," the teacher all but sung.

"But you just said –"

"Begin!" the squat man asserted himself, forcing the class into subdued silence, save for the sound of papers being flipped over and pens scratching against their surface as students wrote down their answers to the questions, not wanting to rush, but still wanting to finish before their teacher called for them to stop, whenever that may have been.

Silence… it was deafening.

These questions, they were so…

Dammit! Squall knew these questions. He knew the answers. So why?

"Why was he having such a hard time at this?

Why couldn't he answer a single question?

He wracked his brain, but it refused to work. His eyes closed, his head resting in his palm.

God, how he hated this class.

Numbers… letters… apart, troublesome. Together, they were torture.

They were so easy. Squall had previously done similar questions, so why couldn't he get his head around them?

Why couldn't he think?

He couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus.

Something was sapping at his attention, and yet he couldn't tell what it was.

Squall took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He tried once more.

Skimming through the questions, he tried to pick out the easiest ones and gave the answers that came to mind. He didn't bother to double-check his work, or even to read over his answers at all. He had already wasted enough time.

Time… it was all about time. That evil fucking clock. He didn't know how much he had left, but it was slowly ticking away. He could hear it. It was so fucking loud, as if someone had placed that wretched clock on his desk, placed it right next to his ear just to mess with him.

Time… it was…

"Time," the teacher called out. "Pens down, trade papers with your partners."

Placing his pen on the desk, he traded his paper with Rinoa, who then traded it with the girl on Squall's other side.

As the teacher called out their answers, the students each marked their neighbour's work before handing it back.

Squall looked to see his score. The brunette beside him had marked each of his answers with ticks or crosses, depending on whether or not they were correct, writing the correct answers next to his incorrect ones. She had then counted them all up and presented the number of correct answers in the forms of a fraction, a decimal, and a ratio, as well as a percentage. All in red ink. Going by that, Squall was able to clearly see just how poorly he had done. All that was missing was a graph. He didn't think the girl had done it on purpose, but it was as if she were trying to point out just how hopeless he was in this class. He had only scored twenty percent. And there were only fifty questions.

After collecting up the papers, their teacher had explained to the class his course outline, as well as his brutal testing regime. There would be a pre-test before starting a new unit, and a re-test afterwards, to see what was learned and retained. This, of course, was excluding the final test for each unit, which would give them an official grade for the unit, which would count towards their year's work and contribute to their final grade. The grade that would appear on their record and determine whether they passed or failed. As well as all of this, there would also be routine tests every Friday to check student's progress.

As if that weren't enough, the class seating plan would change each week, based on the results of the last test taken. After the first week, the students would not be seated alphabetically, but instead in the order of their test results.

"This is going to be easy," Rinoa commented. "Based on how well I take the test, I can sit literally anywhere in the class. This teacher may think he's smart, but his system is actually one of the easiest to manipulate." Looking at Squall to gage his reaction, she saw him place his course outline sheet, the one that was handed out after the tests were collected, inside his notebook.

Remembering the reason why he didn't have his own here with him, she chalked it up as a victory to her. Squall was without school supplies, and he was without them because they were locked up safely in her home. If he wanted them back, it would cost him. Squall may have thought the raven haired girl had been cruel to him before, but for crossing her, his punishment had only just begun.

After escaping from the dull torment from the most mind-numbing of daylight dungeon masters, Rinoa was joined by Fllay on the way to her next class. Before a conversation could break out, the raven haired girl reached into her blazer's inside breast pocket and pulled out a halved sheet of paper. Unfolding it, she examined the information it contained.

Seeing her do this, Fllay did the same, pulling a similar sheet of folded paper from within her blazer before examining it. "What do you have now?" the redhead asked her friend.

Shuddering with dread, Rinoa cursed. "Just great, I have goddamned accounting with that boring ass prick that jerks off over spread sheets."

"So do I," Fllay lamented, looking to her timetable with disdain.

"Why do you even take that class?" Rinoa asked the other girl, pocketing her timetable and changing direction for her now intended destination.

"If you hate it so much, why do _you_ take it?" Fllay countered.

"Because my _beloved father_," Rinoa answered, spitting the toxic words as though the sarcasm contained within were venom, "pushed me into it. My other options are my choice, but he forces me into this one class that just so happens to be the worst goddamned course this pathetic excuse for a shithole school can afford to provide."

The conversation continued in silence as the girls' current corridor took them into a tediously decorated white room. Clean walls were littered by pin-like beauty marks holding up sheets of laminated paper. Make-shift posters and leaflets detailing important principals such as equivalence, separate entity, monetary, and other important rules that all accountants must follow. There were also diagrams showing the tools used for financial record adjustments to be made at the end of each fiscal year, among others.

It was clear what they were in for. The two girls had just traded one prison for another. Numbers had been exchanged for numbers. The only difference being that 'X's and 'Y's were now replaced by dollar signs.

This was not to be a class of logic or problem solving like the last. Instead, they would spend their time poring over financial reports to please a most tedious individual. A man with short, slick grey hair and a plain grey suit with white-collar shirt and light grey tie. The only potential marks of physical interest on the man's face were the sets of prominent wrinkles and frown lines present on his pale, olive skinned, bespectacled face.

What could be worse?

"The year hasn't even started yet," Fllay began, "but I already regret signing up to this class."

"You know I'm only here because I'm being forced into it," Rinoa replied, "But what about you? Why are you even in this class?" Fllay looked away in silence.

As the girls crossed the room and took their seats, they did so without sound. Fllay purposely refused to look at her friend until she had an answer ready. Her body seemed to slump and she leaned forward on her desk, facing the front of her class, yet paying no mind to that which her eyes perceived. "The same reason." When Fllay finally spoke, it was in a quiet, level tone.

"What? Who lumped you with this class?"

"My Parents."

"The fuck?"

"They said I had to take at least one economical or business related class, so it was either this, retail, hospitality, tourism, or CIT."

"Computer Information Technology…" Rinoa said, expanding the acronym. "And you'd rather sit here than mess around on a computer, why?"

"Actually, I'd rather be here than in CIT doing office work. That's too boring."

"And this class isn't?" Fllay shrugged her shoulders.

"Anything has to be better than that."

"You know what I don't get though?" Rinoa thoughtfully asked. "Why didn't you simply swap out Home Economics for Hospitality? I mean it's essentially the same thing, except Hospitality is like Tourism."

"It is? How?"

"They both teach you how to rip off stupid fucking tourists," Rinoa replied simply. "Home Economics only teaches you how to be a housewife."

"Maybe…" Fllay replied.

"It more than implies it in the name. You know? _Home Economics?_"

"I suppose it does." As if it weren't evident in her tone, Fllay's eyes were not focused on her raven haired friend. Following her friend's field of vision, Rinoa peered towards the target of her interest, and there she noticed it. "Kira."

"Didn't I tell you to get over him already?"

"But I…"

"You what?"

"I can't just forget him like that."

"Why not? He's not worth it. Just forget about him. Stop this depressive shit and move on already."

"Yeah, he dumped me. His loss, right?"

"Exactly."

"Sorry… we can't all be like you."

"You're talking about Squall, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Make a decision, go with it, and don't look back. Life's all about knowing when to hold on and when to let go. So many people hold on too long and get dragged away from where they should be. They wind up living the wrong way, in the wrong place. They end up miserable."

"So I should simply cut everyone else out of my life and exist only for myself? How is that any way to live? The cure for misery and loneliness is to live alone and miserable?"

"You needn't be alone, Fllay. Just detached. If you attach yourself, you'll only be disappointed."

"So then I should look forward to nothing more than a series of detached lays? Fruitless fucking? Is that all my social life should consist of? Not everyone can be satisfied with that. I'd rather be with one person that actually means something to me."

"If that were true," Rinoa offhandedly retorted, "you would not be in this mess."

Fllay's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to argue, but found there was nothing she could say. Rinoa was right. If she had remained faithful to Kira, there would have been no reason for him to walk out on her the way he did. All this time, the red haired girl had blamed her friend for what happened, but in the end, Fllay herself was the one to blame, and that is what it ultimately came down to… wasn't it?

This is my advice. Take it or leave it. I think you should let him go. Both of them. Let them go before it's too late."

Taking a seat on the other side of the class, Athrun and Kira sat at their chosen desks. The brunette looked over his timetable before folding the paper up and placing it securely inside his right hand pants pocket.

As he busied himself with that menial task, his blue haired friend allowed his eyes to wander the faces in the room until they came to settle on two in particular. Two well known, popular girls. The pale skinned, dark haired girl with the caramel highlights. Dark brown eyes adorned with black eyeliner. Soft, pink lips enhanced with cherry flavoured lip gloss, or so the rumours suggested. Athrun had never tasted for himself, nor did he intend to, but he knew the daughter of his father's bitter business rival when he saw her. He knew the face of Rinoa Caraway.

Sitting next to her was Rinoa's best friend, the red haired girl with the blue eyes, Fllay Alllster. Athrun knew all about that one. And he knew much more than her mere appearance.

"Look who it is," he said, nudging his brown haired friend.

Turning his head to face the pair of girls, Kira could only sigh.

"Something wrong?" Athrun asked him, though they were both aware that he knew far more than he was letting on.

"I would have preferred not to share a class with her," was all Kira would say.

"I suppose you would."

"As it happens, this is the second class I've had with her in it… at least we're on different ends of the room. I shouldn't have to work with her this time. That's a plus, I suppose."

"Are you okay?" the bluenet asked his friend.

"I'm fine," Kira answered with a level head.

"Are you sure? If she's messed with you like this, maybe you should forget about her and move on."

"What do you think I'm doing… trying to do… but how can I forget someone who keeps showing up in my life?"

"Then maybe you should go and talk to her. If not to patch things up, then to give you both closure."

"I have all the closure I need," Kira replied, hoping for a change in subject to arise.

"Are you sure? It seems like she's still bothering you. If you were truly over her, she wouldn't occupy your mind."

"You don't understand."

"Then tell me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"You… you can't understand what I'm feeling right now."

"And neither can anyone else, unless you let them."

"I mean it, Athrun. You wouldn't… you can't empathise, so you shouldn't sympathise. There's no way you can relate to what I'm going through."

"Oh?"

"It's alright for you, isn't it Athrun?" As Kira spoke, his friend noticed something. Though his words carried such bitterness, none of it spread to his tone. He could have been talking about the weather or the stock market. "You don't need to worry about problems like these. We both know that Lacus would never do anything like that to you."

"You're right about that," Athrun replied. "For better or worse, she's a one-man girl.

"Trust me, Athrun, that's a good thing."

"If you say so," Athrun replied, feeling rather bored of the conversation. This was supposed to be about Kira and Fllay, not Lacus.

"I do. The way Lacus is… it is very much for the better."

Kira's perspective… perhaps he had a point. Athrun allowed his eyes to wander the class as he processed the information. Lacus… Modest though she may have been, Athrun knew that the pinkette would never betray him, regardless of what the rumours said. It was ironic, in a way.

As his eyes wandered, they continued to linger on the two girls on the far side of the room.

The Lacus that Athrun knew was the exact opposite of the Lacus that everyone else did. Her personality was so different from her reputation. That was her only fault. She'd be the perfect girlfriend to show off to everyone and earn some points with his father, if only she had a different name. As it was, the Clyne family was mud. A stigma that applied to Lacus more so than anyone else she shared a name with. Patrick Zala would never allow such a person to join his family. He was adamant about that. The rumours about Lacus Clyne made her out to be Fllay Allster or Rinoa Caraway.

"Then again," Kira spoke up, "I used to think that way about Fllay. Now though, how can I?" His comment went unheard by the bluenet. It was such a fulfilling sentiment just to be able to put the entirety of one's trust in another. Something that Kira missed. Something he no longer had. It was something he wished he could get back, but for right now, it was an impossibility. Should he put all his eggs in one basket, they would be crushed by an insensitive foot. Should he give them to another, he might never see them again. He couldn't put his faith in another right now. Least of all Fllay.

The more than low-level din that saturated the room immediately died down as a foreign figure entered the class. Yet another unannounced staff change.

"Who the fuck is that?" Rinoa ineloquently phrased her query in a low voice.

"I… have no idea," Fllay answered.

The man who had presented himself to the class was a short, wizened gentleman. Very few hairs sprouted from his liver spot-adorned head, but those that did were of a colour similar to that of a sheep's wool. Beady, brown eyes squinted over the frame of miniscule, circular glasses. His posture was that of one who had spent their life bent over a desk, his nose mere millimetres away from the pages of a ledger. And when he spoke, it was in a high pitched voice that boomed decibels unfathomable for a man of his stature.

"So this is my class? Already such a disappointment. And we have not yet even begun. Well, let us get on with it then."

"Who does this old fart think he is?" Rinoa asked. Fllay, who was equally bemused and disillusioned at the prospect of having this person as a teacher, simply shook her head.

"I don't know."

"He can't talk to us like that. He can't treat me like a crusty turd on the road."

"You!" the man exclaimed in a voice that might have broken barriers. He made eye contact with the spirited girl who continued to speak after the rest of the class had silenced themselves. "You will be silent." His tiny eyes bore unexpectedly well into those of Rinoa.

"Wow, he has surprisingly good hearing for a bent-over old man," Rinoa remarked.

"Yes, I do. Now, is there something you'd care to share?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact. There is."

"Well then, I'd be glad to hand over the spotlight, since you seem to so enjoy it."

"You're obviously new here," Rinoa began, speaking loud enough for the entire class to hear her, "so I'll cut you some slack this time, but just so you know, you can't just come in here and talk to us like that." She may have been his rival, but Athrun couldn't stop the smile from gracing his features. He had to admire her nerve.

"Oh? And what is to stop me?" asked the teacher.

"You obviously don't realise who you're talking to," Rinoa laughed.

"Then fill me in."

"Gladly," Rinoa beamed, rising to her feet and taking a deep breath. "_I_ am Rinoa Caraway."

"Oh, yes. Of course you are," the old man replied good-heartedly, clearly humouring the girl who thought she was important.

"Don't patronise me," Rinoa hissed. "Don't you realise who I am? I could get you fired. Or worse."

"Oh, woe is me. A man of retirement age might lose his job. I guess I'll have to rely on my pension…" his tattered, cracked lip curled upward in a smirk, "and the hefty payment I'll receive after suing this place for unfair dismissal will make for a healthy investment as well."

"You can't be serious. A decrepit old substitute teacher like you can't talk to me like that! I'll…"

"You'll what? Get me fired? Yes, I believe we've already gone over this. Perhaps you should join the debating team. You might learn a thing or two… for example: Repeating the same points over and over, getting louder each time isn't the way to win an argument. You can't possibly think that just because you speak louder, that means what you have to say is more important, can you?" At that, Rinoa was speechless. Her anger had swelled to a point that she couldn't give a coherent response. "Oh, and I'm not a substitute. I'm your new teacher for the year." The wily, old man's smirk deepened. "Glad to meet you," he uttered sadistically, in a way that a torturer might when greeting his next victim.

"What happened to our old teacher? Did he finally realize what he'd devoted his life to and go insane?"

"No, he's dead."

"Huh…"

"He died of a heart attack, so now I'm here… so if you'd so kindly sit down, we can begin." Rinoa did as instructed and sat while the elderly teacher crossed the room and placed his belongings on the large desk in the corner. "Before we start, I've looked over your previous grades. I've seen all your school records. Knowing this, I have assigned you all new seats. I believe that my new plan will create a better learning environment. When students sit with their friends, it is often too tempting for them to talk. By removing that distraction, this class will run much more smoothly."

"I can't believe it," Rinoa commented. "He somehow managed to make this class even worse."

As the new seating plan was revealed, the sound of shuffling feet was heard as students moved to their newly assigned places. To his personal distaste, Kira was assigned a seat next to Fllay, while Athrun was positioned beside Rinoa, a prospect that piqued the raven haired girl's interest.

Now, he was sitting with the daughter of his father's bitter rival in the world of business, not to mention his own rival as far as social matters went in the school grounds. From the stories he'd heard, Rinoa wasn't someone he wanted anything to do with, but it wasn't as though he had a choice.

Could their aged teacher have a grudge against the children of wealthy families? Athrun would need to put his feelings aside and endure his time with the girl beside him. He could only hope that she would do the same. The last thing he needed was for her to make things difficult.

Before the bluenet was able to calm himself, he had a heavy book dropped onto his desk. The old teacher moved on and did the same to every pair of desks until there was one book shared between two students.

"Until you buy your own copies of these textbooks, or pay a bond to borrow the school's Own copies, you will need to make do with these older ones." As the old man spoke, his beady eyes darted from pair to pair.

Rinoa took one look at the book and contorted her face in disgust. Her nostrils flared. These books. They were old, worn. The covers were faded and cracked, and they smelt as though the pages were smeared with the decaying morsels of age-old food, decomposing.

Such maltreatment, such age. How old were these books? Why were they still being handed out? To entice people to buy their own as soon as possible? It made sense, but in the meantime, they would have to use these ones, these that contained every bit as much age as their worn teacher.

This excuse for a book would be shared between two rivals. The ringleaders of two vastly different camps. Athrun and Rinoa. Zala and Caraway. They would sit together. They would work together. They would share. A crime against sociology to say the least.

* * *

"So how'd you do?" the question had caught the brunette off-guard. His eyes passed from clouded horizon, to tree, to the tidy line separating concrete path from trash covered grass.

"Do what," he asked, not looking at the girl who walked beside him.

"The test. What was your score?"

"…why?"

"I was just wondering. I scored about fifty percent. I never have been good at math. I prefer literacy type classes. I'm more creative than logical," the girl explained, telling the boy how she had done, perhaps giving him an incentive to share his own result.

"You still did better than me."

"What did you get? Forty?" The boy remained silent, but shook his head in response. "Higher?"

"Lower."

"Thirty?"

"Lower."

"Twenty five?"

"…not quite."

"Oh."

"See what I mean? You did better than I."

"Well… that's not too bad."

"I scored twenty percent on a fifty question test. How is that not bad?"

"You're not so great with numbers. So what? They have computers for that kind of thing anyway."

"I'm not so great with words, either. Or actions. What does that leave?"

"Well, you were good in Home Economics, right?"

"Great. Maybe I can be a maid someday," Squall bitterly spat.

Lacus let loose a small laugh. "Or you could become a chef."

"Perfect, my future's settled. I can't wait… Nothing can go wrong. We'll just ignore the fact that I can't even cook."

"You seemed to be doing a good enough job in class."

"You didn't have to taste it. I can't cook. Not like you anyway. I can't do anything as well as you can. It's like your perfect." Lacus smiled at the compliment, misguided though it may have been. Lacus believed that good food was something that complimented the ingredients used, not the one who prepared and mixed them.

"We both know that's not true. I only scored fifty percent on that test we just took."

"That's better than what I got," Squall reminded her.

"True. But maybe I could help you out, if you don't mind. Kira was tutoring me in math and chemistry last year. Maybe if all three of us work together, we can do better."

"I don't know…"

"If I talk to him about it, would you be willing to join in with us?"

"Maybe. I suppose."

"Great. I'll ask him later. We could even do it in home room. There's not much else to do there, and all three of us can sit together. It's the perfect opportunity. Or we could get together after class if you'd prefer."

"Either way… You two can decide."

"Okay."

Lacus knew. The conversation was over. Squall had a way of dismissing things. She hadn't been around him for more than a few days, but she was already beginning to pick these things up, to get used to his ways, his quirks.

After the pink haired girl's proposition, the pair had walked until they entered the school's gym. They wiped their feet on the seemingly new, unused doormat and removed their shoes, carrying them in their hands as they stepped onto the varnished floorboards inside the square, concrete building.

Black soled shoes were not permitted within the Gym. Instead, sport shoes were required to be purchased. With luck, Walter would have already taken care of that detail, but if he hadn't, they'd all be required to go shoe shopping. Not exactly an altogether daunting prospect, but not one that Lacus was interested in at the time. Perhaps it was to be considered slothful, but after today and the days just passed, when Lacus got home, all she wanted to do was relax.

Following Squall into the centre of the wooden floor in knee-high white socks, Lacus' eyes were left to their own devices. They were free to roam, and roam they did. She noticed something. Both genders were present. Usually, boys and girls were separated. In this class however… that simply wasn't the case.

There weren't nearly enough students here to fill two classes. Why? Was this a mixed class? That was very unusual.

Unnoticed, a man peered into the gym, poking his obscured head around the door before turning away from the building and walking toward the track field, shaking his head and muttering to himself as he went. As he walked, his long, wavy locks of golden blond cascaded down around his neck and shoulders.

Finally, he found the one he was looking for, a woman standing on the field. Tanned skin and black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Even from where he stood, he could see enough of this woman to fill his eyes with disdain and criticism.

"Excuse me," he announced his presence. The woman ignored him. Her attire was less than modest and notoriously far from formal. A short, black, tank top that exposed her mid-rift, worn with blue denim cut-offs – revealing much of her leg – and a black, leather, studded belt. Her right arm was adorned with a tattoo, and her hand was pressed to her ear, holding the cell phone with which she conversed.

Tapping her on the shoulder, he finally managed to catch her attention. She turned to greet him with a hollow stare.

"While I hate to interrupt you," the blond spoke, "I feel the need to inform you that your class is waiting for you in the gym."

"Hold on a sec," the woman said, presumably to whoever was on the other end of the phone call. "Listen here, oh so mysterious masked man," she said, now speaking to the one before her. "I don't know how you disfigured yourself, and I don't particularly care, but when I need your help, I'll fuckin' beat it out of you. Get it?"

"There is no need for hostilities," the masked, blond man replied, "but you really should take care of your job before you socialize."

"You think this is a social call? You think I belong in a nursing home? Huh? I'm speaking about serious business here."

"While I'm sure that's true, you should wait until after class."

"I can't take much more of this bullshit," the woman muttered. "Fine, yeah, whatever. I'll go and babysit the brats. Turning around, she headed back toward the gym.

"Unprofessional," the blond remarked after she had gone.

"Freak show," the woman uttered before returning to her conversation, not bothering to stop once she reached her class.

"So um, who is that?" one student asked as the woman entered the gym, her Cell phone still pressed to her ear.

"Is she another student?"

"She's not in uniform."

"Is that our teacher?"

"No way."

"You guys know I'd totally fuck that, right?"

"Pfft… You couldn't fuckin' handle me, junior," the woman muttered to herself. "No, not you," she assured the one she was talking to via cell phone.

"No, it's these brats they've got me babysitting."

"Well, it wasn't so bad last year when I was just coaching the swim team. I only had to work a few hours a week. Now though, they've got me teaching classes. It's only Phis Ed, but still. Worst of all, they've put me with all the pussies and retards that couldn't make it into the real classes. Why couldn't that goddamned freak with the mask take care of this shit? What am I supposed to do?"

"Hey, that's not funny!"

"I mean it!"

"Oh yeah? Try saying that to my face!"

"You bet I would."

"I don't give a _shit_ what that bitch thinks."

"You wanna die? That's it! When I get back…"

"Asshole…" she muttered as she cleared the call data and pocketed her phone.

"Trouble at home?" one of the students asked.

"Fuck you," the woman replied. The only thing worse than sympathy was false sympathy. She didn't need either, least of all from these worthless dipshits.

Looking over them, she scanned the class, until her eyes began to linger on two in particular. A tall brunet with an unkempt mass of hair. And beside him, a pale skinned girl with long pink hair trailing down her back behind her. She'd keep her eye on those two.

"You guys can call me Miss Rebecca," the woman explained to her class. "I know I'm supposed to memorise all your names and explain a whole bunch of boring shit, but the truth is: I really don't feel like it."

"This is our teacher?" one girl sceptically asked.

"You bet your ass," the woman replied. "You guys'll be in my presence for the entire year, so you'd better get used to it quick." The Gym Teacher was all too willing to let the brats under her instruction talk amongst themselves, but within the timeframe of a few minutes, that had grown more than just infuriating.

Rebecca reached her right hand across her torso, as though reaching for a coveted object under her left arm, but found nothing. Her eyes widened at first. Her body froze for only an instant as horror and shock coursed through her like a silver bullet, like adrenaline. But then she remembered.

_Oh right…_ It was a bad habit. A reflex she'd have to stay. The police force in this city wasn't as lenient as her last. Especially when it came to public displays of violence. That was the reason she'd had to leave her boys behind. A wild grin graced her lips, spreading across her face like a plague though a densely populated city. They knew her so well. This would have to be settled another way.

"Alright, shut up!" Instantly, the class quieted down and the students turned their attention toward their impatient teacher. "I didn't want to have to explain this shit, but fuck it. All of you… you all seem to think this is a free class, but it's not. If I have to work here, then so will all of you. I'm gonna work you guys to the bone. You hear me? The bone."

"She can work my bone all day if she wants," a student remarked, the same one from before."

"Forget it man," another warned, "I'm tellin' ya. You're barking up the wrong bush. She plays for the other team. Catch my drift?"

At hearing that remark, the woman's crazed smirk grew and she beckoned the two to the front of the class, bidding that they approach her.

Thinking nothing of it, the two students easily complied.

"What was it you said about me," she asked the second of the two. "I play for the other team, right?"

"Yeah. I'm always right about these things."

"Is that because I'm teaching Gym, or am I just too much for your fuckin' sheltered mind to handle? And the way you phrased that. Wow. I've never heard that one before. You must be a real fuckin' genius." She spoke in a quiet tone. Feigned calm. As this punk was about to learn, that wasn't a good sign. Reaching her arm back, she clenched her right hand into a fist and sent it rocketing forth.

The weapon hit the boy square in the face, sending him through the air until his flight delivered him unceremoniously to the ground. His hand was raised instantly to his face, but could do little for the blood sprayed from his bleeding, broken nose. "Dumbass," the woman muttered.

"Hey, you can't do that to a student!" the other boy protested.

"Can't I?" The woman's face cracked into another smirk. "Because it looks like I just did. And look." She drew her fist back once more, only to send it flying into the abdomen of the young male before her. Her punch was with enough force to sweep the feet out from under him. Her punch was with enough force to render him barely capable of movement. Her punch was with enough force to fill his coughs with blood.

Turning to her class, she looked over them all with a wide, predatory grin.

"Do you guys know why the school administration put you in here with me?" The way she looked over them, it was as if she were a rabid beast looking over her flock of sacrificial lambs. "You guys couldn't handle the other classes. You couldn't hack it with the other guys, the regular guys. You couldn't play with the big kids. No, the big boys were too tough for you. That's why you pussies are in here. In the retard class. In here with me. I'm here to teach you one thing, and one thing only, so you'd better shut the fuck up and listen, got it? I'm here to harden you bitches up, and I intend to do it, even if it kills you."

"Fuck you, bitch!"

Smirking, the woman slowly turned around. "Do I hear to sound of an underage cocksucker who needs to learn his place in the world?"

"You can't do this to me. I'm Julius Kramer!"

"Is that so? Well listen up, Julian."

"Julius! My father is Cid Kramer! You understand now? I'm the Principal's son. The headmaster, the one you all call Headmaster Cid, I'm his son."

"Am I supposed to be impressed? I don't give a fuck who your father is, any more than I care about you. Live for yourself; don't follow your parent's coattails to the grave, dipshit. You're already in high-school and you haven't even figured that out?"

"You don't get it, bitch. I can get you fired. I can have you out on your ass, exposing it to horny, disease ridden strangers just to scrape by with enough money to live."

That was when the smirk left the lips of their rabid teacher. All perceptions of amusement were now lost on her as she approached the boy. Her expression was as dead as the voices of the class who watched this brutality, this barbarism.

Her hand reached out and fingers enclosed around the boy's throat, clutching with enough strength to restrict his air-flow. With a single hand at his throat, gripping it roughly like the handle of a knick-knack, lifting the boy from the ground.

The boy's terror was evident. Even if it hadn't shown in his eyes, the brat reeked of it. His eyes were wide. His pulse raced. Rebecca stared into his fear-filled orbs and spoke in a level, calm tone. "So, daddy owns the school, huh? Why don't I do both him and this world a fuckin' favour? You said I'd be on the streets shoving wart-covered, blistered, varicose-veined cocks up my ass one after the other like some whore to survive, right? That's your future, junior. Not mine." Tossing the fear-filled wretch from her, she turned and inhaled a heavy lungful of air. "Oh yeah," she added as though just remembering something, "didn't I tell you to address me as Miss Rebecca? That's my name. Rebecca, not whore. Fuckin' dumbass." Leaving the sad excuse for a teenager behind, she proceeded to walk away, as if abandoning him in some filthy street gutter. "Alright, let's go," she spoke to the class after taking a moment to calm herself.

Her students remained rooted on the spot. None among them dared to move, let alone speak. It went without saying that they were not used to this kind of scenario.

"What are you, deaf? Let's go outside. I want to see what kind of endurance you guys have." She followed their eyes and realized the problem. Her class could not comply with her instruction. They were too preoccupied with what had just happened.

The two smart-assed boys lay on the ground, unable to move. Unable to respond to any request made of them. One lay almost in the foetal position, arms clutching at his abdomen in agony. The other was sprawled out, almost in tears. Vomiting. He couldn't stop heaving.

"Oh, they're fine; I was just fuckin' with 'em, that's all. No need to piss yourselves," Rebecca dismissed. "I just had to make sure those two knew who was in charge, that's all. Do as I say and we'll get along fine. Just don't piss me off and we'll have nothing to worry about. Make me mad, and we'll have a serious problem. Now, get off your lazy fuckin' asses and get out there!"

Slowly, the class began to move like a heard of sheep being led out to pasture, to the track field. As he passed her, Squall couldn't help but give her a scrutinizing gaze. Her exact words were 'don't piss me off and we have nothing to worry about.' In no conceivable way was that even remotely good advice.

How were they to remain on her good side when they knew next to nothing about her? On top of that, she seemed to have a dangerously volatile personality. That was a deadly combination. Those two smart-mouthed boys may have shared similarities with Rinoa, but then again, from what he'd seen of this teacher, this 'Miss Rebecca,' so did she.

"Squall?" the pinkette asked; a hint of discomfort in her voice. Looking over to her as he walked, he could see her exhaustion. He wordlessly invited her to continue. They walked side by side, alone, yet in each other's company. Separated from the other students who ran so far ahead of them.

"Um, what… what do you think of that teacher?"

"I think we should do whatever she tells us."

"I know but… why did we have to get her? I'm not any good at physical activities. I haven't had to run in years. Having someone like that isn't going to help me get back into this." Squall understood what Lacus was saying. He could relate. Rebecca was just like Rinoa. Merciless and impatient. Once given an instruction, they would only have so long to comply. Neither of them would wait forever.

"You heard what she said." That was all Squall would say, but it was all he needed to. Lacus understood. Miss Rebecca had made her stance all too clear. Don't 'piss her off,' as she had put it, and do as she said. Any who did otherwise would wind up like those two boys curled up in pain inside the gym. No one had even bothered to help them to the school Infirmary, or to let anyone know they were in pain.

Lacus shuddered at the thought of winding up like one of them. Alone, helpless, lying on the ground. In pain. In tears. Unfathomable, yet so frighteningly realistic agony. Her aggressor grinning down at her like a predatory beast in the wild. Long black hair obscuring those evil orbs, those gateways into a tainted, barren soul.

Again, she shuddered. She had to get this out of her mind. Subconsciously, her arms had crossed over her chest. Hands gripped elbows and a fragile expression of vulnerability had set into her features.

Suddenly, she forced her lips upward in a smile. Squall had looked at her, as if to ask in his own way whether she was alright.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I was just thinking about those two." In response, Squall simply nodded.

"Now that you fuckin' old ladies are finished yappin', maybe you can start running like the rest of the class," Rebecca suggested, catching both of them by surprise.

Squall had actually jumped at the sound of her voice.

"I'm sorry," Lacus tried to explain. "We got tired."

"Did I ask you why you were takin' a leisurely stroll like some preppy billionaire cuntfuck?"

"Uh, no."

"Good. Then stop talking and start running. Don't make me pull out my cutlass on your scrawny asses."

"Cutlass?" Lacus asked.

"It's a pirate sword," Squall quietly explained.

"Yeah, I know, but – " Lacus was cut off by the sound of a guttural growl. Looking over to their teacher, she noticed that Rebecca had the expression to match whichever predator she may have been impersonating. "We should start running now, right?" Rebecca merely nodded her head once, slowly.

Swallowing hard, Lacus took off in a sprint, followed by Squall. "And if you two don't at least catch up to the rest of the class," the aggressive teacher warned, "I'm gonna make you run extra laps around the entire school! That ought to get you used to running again!"

Lacus' eyes widened. How long had that teacher been listening in on their conversation?

Her breathing quickened as they ran at full speed. How long could they keep this up? Lacus didn't know how long she could keep running. How long had they been running so far? Not too long, but it didn't matter. Lacus didn't care that they hadn't run very far yet. It didn't matter. Her ankles were killing her. Facts paled in comparison to the pain that seemed so real.

"Squall?" Already, the pinkette's words were filled with the exhausted, oxygen-starved gasps of a marathon runner, or someone who had done anything equally as exerting. Her voice, those gasps coming through Lacus' sweet voice. They were… they sounded so…

Squall cut off that thought before its vile roots had the chance to spread deep enough to poison his thoughts of her, to turn them into revolting feelings of lust and depravity. Such thoughts would do him no good. Such thoughts would benefit nobody. Not looking at the girl, Squall kept running.

"I hate running," Lacus said between sweetly-pitched, exhausted gasps.

Nodding, Squall offered no other form of response.

They ran the rest of the way in silence.

Squall inwardly cursed his hormonally driven mind. The sound of Lacus' voice as she talked, as she panted and gasped for breath through the physical activity. That should not have been even remotely arousing. It was a sign of her weakness. It meant she was out of shape. Her body was not used to even this level of physical activity. She had no endurance whatsoever.

All of these should have been unattractive points. They should have repelled the brunet, not fascinated him. He should have been looking down on her for her utter lack of fitness. Psychologically, the mind and body should be as one. They should hunger for one in peak condition. Males traditionally were attracted to females who could bare them healthy children, while females were attracted to those who could protect and provide for them. The two came together to become one. This however, was different.

In no way could Lacus' inability to run be seen as healthy. It was unhealthy, burdensome, unwholesome, useless, worthless, pathetic. And yet, He was fascinated by it. By her. Why? It was merely sound. Just a whimpering voice begging to cease this physical torment. A voice of the lazy, voice of the wretched, voice of the weak.

Turning his attention to other internal matters, Squall's mind desperately clung to the first thing considerate enough to come to mind. Their teacher.

Squall had dealt with her kind before. He'd spent the first fifteen years of his life in that company. Now that he was free, now that he was in the one class without Rinoa's vengeful supervision, he was placed under the watch of another, every bit as bad. Every bit as cruel. Every bit as willing to chew him up and spit him out, to leave him to rot in the trash heap.

After finishing the endurance-running exercise, Squall allowed his pace to slow as he wound down, traveling forward, fuelled only by inertia, propelled by his own momentum.

As he slowed, his footsteps drew him back into the Gym, where he noticed that those two loud-mouthed students from before were no longer anywhere to be found.

Also nowhere to be found was the pink haired girl. They had been running together, but apparently, Lacus had been unable to keep up and had slipped behind. Squall hadn't even noticed. As he watched the class gradually arrive, he noticed that he had been able to keep to the middle of the pack. Lacus however, had come in dead last, a bit of a way back behind the person in front of her.

She reached the wall Squall currently stood leaning against and hit it. Hard. Her open palms slapped the wood and arms bent to rapidly slow her velocity, yet her body still hit the wall hard enough to draw a small whimper among the gasps from her exhausted, sore throat.

Turning around, she leaned against the wall and allowed her back to slide downward until she was at last sitting on the ground, her breathing loud and heavy. She turned her head to the left and looked up at Squall.

"Finally… made it," she managed to choke out between breaths."

"I thought you were beside me," Squall muttered nonchalantly.

"Sorry I… couldn't… keep up."

"Clearly."

"Fuckin' pathetic," Rebecca critically uttered, looking over her class. This class, these students, they were such a disappointment. Not a one lived up to her expectations. Especially that girl with the long pink hair. She was the worst of the lot. Rebecca had expected so much more of her, but in the end, she had been nothing but a disappointment.

Just like the rest of the class Rebecca was unfortunate enough to be stuck with.

So disappointing.

Physical Education had ended. Exhausted, Squall and Lacus slowly wandered across the school grounds. As for the brunet, he'd never particularly cared about lunch period. He never got hungry, unless he'd skipped a meal or had been purposely denied food, as he had on several occasions with the Caraways. The lunch period, for Squall, had only ever represented boredom and ill consequence. Embarrassment. Harassment, paraded about as Rinoa's trophy, her pet, her lapdog.

Now though, was different. Squall wouldn't have minded having a lunch break right about now. A trick of the mind had actually fooled him into thinking that perhaps now was the time for one, but of course, he had been wrong. It must have been a rare fortune that he had realised his mistake and corrected himself. Or perhaps the girl beside him deserved all the credit. She had taken out her timetable, and then Squall had remembered.

Right now, Squall wasn't hungry, per se, but he _was_ tired. Although the run hadn't drained him nearly as much as it had Lacus, he had still been affected by it. He was tired, exhausted. He wasn't ready to work in another class yet. He wouldn't be able concentrate, he knew it.

He needed a break, although he wouldn't mention any of this to Lacus. She had been affected by it much worse than he had. She hadn't been forced to exercise in such a long time. Squall theorized that to mean that she had not taken Physical education since freshman year. If either of them had the right to complain, it was her, not him. It was her, and yet she didn't. Since they had departed from the gym, Lacus hadn't uttered a single word of complaint, not a single sound. Not even about the fact that she would now need to purchase two new sets of gym clothes, one for the each of them.

The pinkette's breathing was not as heavy as it once had been, but it was still louder than normal. Her face appeared flushed and moist, as though sweat might still be accumulating around her nose and mouth. Perhaps even her forehead.

Squall was sure that neither of them would be ready to concentrate and work in their next class. Squall's Japanese was not exactly the best – a fact that was destined to make their next class harder and more difficult to endure.

Squall wasn't nearly as proficient in Japanese as he was with English, but it was the only second language he knew, and all students were required to take a minimum of three Literacy classes, at least two of which had to be Language literacy classes, and one of which had to be a Literature Literacy class, which basically meant that all students were required to learn two languages, one of which they had to study texts in. In Squall's case, he had to learn the languages of English and Japanese while studying novels written in English, most of which were written by American authors. Students were also required to take at least one Numeracy class and one class under the categories of either technological, economical, or physical. The other four classes were entirely up to the student to choose, one of which could, should the student prefer it, be a free study period.

Approaching the Literacy block, the pair found their respective classroom – L107. This was to be the location of their Japanese Language Literacy class, also known as Japanese Lan, or simply Jap Lan – as was written on the two students' identical timetables.

Squall stepped forward and reached for the door, holding it open out of force of habit for the pink haired girl, who quietly thanked the young man before entering the class and finding a seat near the front by the window.

Squall's instinct to remain near the pinkette conflicted with his instinct to sit in the back corner. Despite his preference, Rinoa had expertly broken him in by hand, all by herself, and that experience won over any other judgment or desire the brunet may have harboured.

Standing to Lacus' right, he put his notebook and pen on the desk and pulled out his seat, sitting down without a word. His chair didn't even make a sound as its legs slid over the charcoal carpeted floor. Looking over to him, Lacus offered a kind smile to comfort the brooding youth. "Everything alright?"

"Did you have to sit at the front?"

"I work better at the front of the class. It's easier to see. Besides, it's not so bad, is it?" Squall wasn't sure how to answer that. He preferred his dark little corner at the back of the room where nobody bothered him, except when Rinoa needed him with her, of course.

Speak of the harpy, the bitch-queen had just entered the class and was heading their way.

Perfect.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," the raven haired girl remarked, announcing her presence. Squall was certain that Rinoa's apology was less than sincere, though he said nothing. Neither he nor lacus made any outward objection as the unwanted intruder stepped into their personal space and sat down next to them. "Well, don't mind me. You go ahead and keep flirting, little miss pink."

"I wasn't flirting," Lacus quietly replied.

"No? Oh well. Suit yourself. It kinda looked like it from my angle though. Still, if you want people talking about you…"

"People will talk regardless," Lacus retorted. "I'm a Clyne. That kind of gossip comes with the territory. For one in a similar situation, I'm sure you understand, as does Squall."

"True," Rinoa agreed. This was the first positive thing she'd said all day. Squall couldn't describe the atmosphere as pleasant exactly, but it wasn't entirely dreadful. One thing hung in the midst of the conversation however. What was Rinoa doing? What was she planning? She never did anything to unintentionally harm her image. The rumours about her were created and spread by third parties of course, but all in all, they weren't doing anything the harpy queen didn't want them to.

For one of Rinoa's calibre, such manipulation was a simple feat.

"I've been thinking about our earlier discussion. You don't strike me as someone who enjoys being talked about."

"I don't," Lacus replied.

"Then you should probably take all possible steps to minimize the chances of people finding dirt on you."

"That makes sense."

"Don't give the masses ammo."

"Your words sound like wisdom, but how am I supposed to accomplish that?"

"Simple. You know how they expect you to act. Simply do what they want you to, or if their desire is to gossip, simply deny them. Don't do anything worthy of their attention."

"I know, but…"

"What is it?" Rinoa looked into the periwinkle eyes of Lacus.

"I don't want to live by someone else's standards. I want to live the way I choose. If I change my life to suit others, I may as well remain locked up in a bedroom with a box of tissues pondering the woes of what people think of me."

"So you don't care what they think of you? You mean you truly don't give a shit?"

"It's not ideal, but I'm not going to change for them. That isn't to say that I don't wish things were different. I don't want people to talk about me. I'd prefer it if they simply left me alone."

"And yet you carry on the way you do." Lacus' eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you supposed to be with Athrun Zala?"

"I am, why?"

"You've been hanging around with this mongrel. People are starting to talk."

"Talk?"

"It looks as though you're cheating on him. And with this wretch," Rinoa neutrally stated, pointing to Squall as though he were a mere portrait or sculpture.

"But Squall and I, we're just friends."

"You really think the people at this school give a fuck? Couple this with the other rumours about you, and it's pretty easy to see their logic."

"And what conclusion do _you_ come to?"

"That you are just like me. No better, no different."

"I'm… like you?"

"Yeah. You're like me. A manipulative whore." Lacus' eyes widened once more. This time, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe. She was speechless. At least, for a time.

Finally, she regained her voice. "But I'm not."

"Oh? Messing around with so many, yet stringing along the one that is supposedly your boyfriend? I can see why you'd give him different rules, but take my advice. He won't be around forever. I don't know how patient he is, so I don't know how long he can stand it."

"What… what do you mean?"

"If you don't put out, he will eventually leave you."

Lacus visibly stiffened. Her periwinkle eyes widened and glazed like a steamy bathroom mirror. This revelation, though not previously uncovered, frightened the pinkette like nothing else.

She couldn't respond, and was spared the necessity when a sheet of paper was handed to her.

Their conversation had come to an end. Cut short by a test handed to them by their teacher. It was a welcome interruption for at least two of the teenagers present. Their teacher was a short, squat woman with her black hair worn up in a bun. From the look of her, she was clearly of Asian origin. Japanese, most likely. Whether she grew up in Japan or in Dnaletsaw was to remain unknown.

The class quickly became silent and on the teacher's instruction, they began the test.

Oh, how Squall detested formal testing. Tests simply put undue strain and stress upon the minds of their examinees. Unfortunately, the only way to see if one had absorbed the required information like a porous sponge was to test their knowledge on the subject at hand.

Squall's eyes skimmed down the page as his pen filled in answers to any easy questions. English was of course his first language, as it was for all who were born in Dnaletsaw.

Dnaletsaw was made up of land confiscated after Japan's conflict with the United States during the last war, and therefore had no indigenous people.

Although it was a separate country and its own independent nation, it had the tendency to culturally and ethnically be a combination of the two powers. The United States of America and the Capitalist Empire of Japan combined. A child of the two great parents. Despite this, equality did not reign. The nation was primarily western. It was a combination of the two large capitalist economies in the world, yet it was independent, and had become the world's second largest economy, just under the United States, having surpassed Japan. The government system was ever likely to change, each system having its own political party, as opposed to America's system in which a senator was elected from each American state to represent in the Grand House of Congress. Congress then voted amongst themselves to decide the top two senators, one of which would win a public election and receive the chance of running against the current president in one final election to decide the nation's next leader.

In Dnaletsaw, there was a party for Capitalism, one for socialism, one for communism, and one for nationalism. Although it was a four party system, everyone seemed content with the status quo, and those who weren't, lacked the power to do anything about it. As such, the Capitalist party, currently led by Fury Caraway's brother in law – Rinoa's uncle, no less, had been in charge of the country since it was founded five decades ago.

Stealing a glance to his left, Squall was able to see Lacus working away. Her pen was literally racing across the paper, leaving a violet trail after it. Needless to say, she was doing well. Squall was amazed.

She was much better than he was. How was Lacus able to so easily answer every question on the page?

Then again, Squall shouldn't have been so surprised.

As he watched her work, the brunet couldn't help but see a couple of the girl's answers. It wasn't totally honest, but he couldn't help it. He wrote the answers down on his page, just in time to feel a hand poke him sharply in the back.

Squall froze. His entire body tensed. Had he been caught? Looking around, the teacher was nowhere to be seen, so the brunet concluded that Rinoa must have been the one to disturb him.

"I won't tell if you won't." Squall narrowed his eyes.

What was the harpy queen saying?

"It's her fault for not covering her work better. Go ahead and copy her entire test. I'll watch out for the teacher." Squall's eyes remained narrowed.

Squall copies from Lacus and it's her fault for not preventing it? The teacher would not see it that way. In such cases, both the cheater and the one from whom they copied were equally at fault. Besides, Squall didn't trust Rinoa. This was probably a trick. After all, Rinoa was never this kind. She never did anything to help anyone unless she got something in –

"All I ask is that you share her answers with me."

– return. So that was what she wanted. In a test like this, cheating did less than nothing. The point was to see what one already knew. By lying here, the class would only be more difficult than necessary. It would be a fruitless risk. Squall declined.

"Okay, I guess I'll just have to inform our teacher what I caught you doing to our naïve, trusting friend then." In this case, Squall's best reaction was to not react. Regardless of whether or not she may have been bluffing, panicking would only cause him to play into Rinoa's skilled hands like so many times before.

Rinoa's tormenting came to an end with the sound of a throat being cleared. Looking over, the raven haired girl stared directly into the stern eyes of their teacher. A grin crept its way onto her face. "So, you wanna know what I caught this guy doing?" The expression on the woman's face showed that she didn't much care for tales.

"You are to complete the test. Not chat. Do not look at other students, do not talk to other students, do not talk about other students, and do not converse with me." The woman spoke English, though it was with an accent. Clearly, this was not her first language. It made sense then, that she was a Japanese language teacher. Who better to teach a language other than the world's international dialect than one for whom said language was not only recognizable, but as familiar to them as breathing.

The teacher not only spoke Japanese; she read it, wrote in it, even thought in it.

"Continue your test." Skimming over the few answers on the girl's paper, she added, "You have much to learn."

Silently smirking at Rinoa's scolding, Squall continued running his pen down the page. Though the ordeal was entertaining, it struck home in that while Rinoa was terrible with the Japanese language, Squall was not much better.

When all was over, students had handed their tests back to the teacher and were free to talk amongst themselves while their papers were marked and graded. Since this was the first day, the test was more of a fun quiz than an examination, not that many of the students found either this class, or the prospect of testing in general, even moderately fun.

Regardless, the point remained. To receive a formal grade here would be more than just a little excessive. Nevertheless, nothing could be done about a teacher's intent. In her classroom, her word was law and her will would be satisfied.

Such were the rules in her classroom. Such were the rules in all classrooms of all teachers. They demanded respect. They demanded order. They demanded discipline. They were a lot like Caraway, in a way.

They dared not give up power or control. They dared not sacrifice the order they had created. It was all that they had. Without it, they had nothing, and without it, they were nothing.

Such was the capitalist's way. A man was only worth as much as the results he made. He was only worth as much as he had stored in the bank, or invested in his appearance, or in the stock market, or in the knick-knacks that littered the shelves about the interior of his home.

With Squall's mind rambling the way it was, he hadn't noticed the squat teacher passing by, returning papers to students. He looked down to see his result.

He was disappointed, but not surprised.

He had done appallingly.

Looking to his left, he noticed Lacus' result that oh-so conflicted his. She had not achieved a perfect score, but had come incredibly close, like someone who scored only a few points shy of the threshold on an IQ test to be recognised as a genius.

"What is it?" the pinkette asked, unsure about Squall's interest in her result.

"You did… well." Squall internally chastised himself for such an idiotic response.

"Oh, thank you."

"I was just wondering how you did so well."

"I studied?" Lacus suggested.

"Over the summer?"

"Well, no, but from a young age, my father forced me to learn and stay fluent in both English and Japanese, and I've stuck with those two languages ever since, so I've always done well in literacy classes, although I don't know any other dialects."

"That seems strange. Why would he have you do that?"

"He was a traditional man. English is the language of the world, yet he wanted me to know Japanese language and culture. He wanted to keep it alive in his family."

"Why?"

"Oh, it's because I'm Japanese."

"You are?"

"Well, my family has been located in Dnaletsaw for a while now, so I was born here, but ethnically, I am from Japanese descent. It's the same with Kira, Cagalli, and Athrun."

"What about the others?"

"I think Yzak is Japanese, but I don't know about Dearka or Nicol."

So all of them. Athrun and all of his friends. They were all Japanese. This conflicted greatly with Rinoa and her group, who were made up mainly from those whose families immigrated here generations ago from Britain and America. Squall was Japanese from his father's side. His mother? He didn't know. He had no idea who she was; let alone her genealogy.

This interested Squall. He'd think about this later, after class was over. For now, he was like Rinoa, in that they both had much to learn. Looking to the board, he noticed that their teacher had written up several names. He wondered what they were for.

He noticed that he recognized some of the names. Lacus, Rinoa, and even his own name. They were all up there. Why? Was there some kind of problem? Were they in trouble for talking? What was going on?

"This section of the board," their teacher explained, referring to the upper right hand corner, where there was a large blue bordered section of whiteboard, "is known as the wall of fame." Interestingly enough, the teacher had a set of buddy steps – a miniature stepladder for the purpose of reaching this wall of fame. It was an icon of amusement, only slightly more dignified than standing on a box, or a stack of textbooks.

On the wall of Fame were five names, Lacus among them.

"These people are the famers. They are the top five students of the class. For example, Lacus? Please raise your hand." Nervously, the pinkette did as she was instructed; unsure as to why she was being put on the spot like this. "Lacus has scored a ninety five percent on the test, giving her a top score. Until our next test, she is to be regarded as this class' top student."

Suddenly, Squall understood. He knew how this teacher was to operate. In this class, a student was only as good as their last test result.

"On the other hand," the teacher announced, descending her steps on order to reach the red square in the bottom right hand corner of the whiteboard, "the students' names that are placed here, are the five worst students in the class. They are to be known as bottom feeders, or as I prefer: shamers."

Squall's name was in the red square. Along with Rinoa, he was among the worst in the class.

"Every time we take a test, these lists will be updated. And each time they are, special rewards will be given. I will be keeping a record of which part of the class you all are in, and for how many weeks you are in each, be it the top five, bottom five, or middle mediocrity. Each week, we will have a test. It is my wish that nobody will remain in the bottom five for more than a week. The longer you remain in your position, either as a famer, or as a shamer, the greater your reward."

"Wait, we get rewards?" Rinoa asked.

"Why do the bottom feeding losers get rewards when we don't?" another asked.

"When did mediocrity become acceptable?" the teacher replied. "You will receive no rewards for laziness or lack of ability here. Famers will receive special rewards, treats and privileges; while shamers will be awarded with compulsory remedial classes after school on Thursday. Of course, all are welcome to attend."

So the best students were to be bribed for their success while the exceptionally awful were punished with extra work to help them catch up. The mediocre and lazy would receive no reward or punishment. They were not worth the time or effort. Squall could live with that.

* * *

Clack, clack. Clack, clack. The girl was downcast, and she so hated the sound her shoes were making against the unusually loud concrete below her. She hated being on her own, but this next class she would have to take in solitude. Rinoa was not to be joining her this period. Nor was Miriallia. In fact, none of her friends, nobody that she knew of, was to take her next class with her.

She was alone. All alone. She would know nobody. It was not something the red haired girl was accustomed to. Usually, she had at least one friend in each of her classes. This time however… what would she do? Where would she sit, and with whom?

Fllay wondered whether Squall would be in the class. Did the brunet consider her a friend? Not likely. Not after the things she and Rinoa had subjected him to.

As she crossed into the classroom, a sigh was allowed to escape her lips. Eyes darted from desk to desk as they attempted time and time again, to locate even one familiar face. Always failing, yet persevering after each subsequent disappointment.

The facts remained, and were as tangible as the building's walls themselves.

Fllay didn't know a single person. It was as she feared, and still she was caught unaware. Unprepared. This was a blow to her. And a harsh one at that. This class would be a difficult one.

At least to begin with. Blue eyes shifted about as her vision scoped the room once more. This time, to find a seat. A desk. A place to sit. She settled on the ideal place, a window seat at the back of the room.

Sitting down and resting her bag at her feet, Fllay's mind was given the freedom to wander. She rested her head in her hand as thoughts for the future flooded her.

Just a moment ago, she'd been so worried, but now she thought about it, this could be seen as a good thing. She may not know these people, so maybe they also didn't know her. Or even if they did, some of them might want to get to know her better.

This could be seen as her chance to create a new circle of companions. If Rinoa found it not only acceptable, but necessary to include and exclude whomever she chose from their group without consulting with anyone, on a whim, then Perhaps Fllay should form her own group.

Fllay would doubtlessly be perceived equally as both famous and infamous. It was the same with Rinoa and most of the people they routinely appeared alongside.

Surely some of that popularity may have reflected badly, but there was no such thing as bad publicity. In the end, Fllay was still popular, so people would long to befriend her. It was perfect. That was the way things worked. That was just the way things were.

If she approached them, they would accept. Maybe not all of them, but in a class of twenty, surely several would flock to her. As part of Rinoa's entourage, Fllay was well known, and those who wanted to be seen as she was, would gladly do anything for the chance.

And she meant anything. Seifer was a good example. He'd jumped to Rinoa's side the instant Squall was abandoned, full well knowing how she'd treated and subsequently ended her relationship with her last lapdog.

He was willing and able to look past that so easily. The reward outweighed the effort.

Fllay was not as bold as Rinoa, but those assets she did possess worked for her. She had looks to flaunt and personality with which to charm. Even if her phone's contacts list weren't inviting enough, Fllay had herself to offer.

Being part of a group as well as an individual was a win-win situation. Apart, they were inviting and tempting, but put them together and who could resist?

"Well, what do you know? We finally get a new face in this class. And a cute one at that."

"Hmn?" Fllay audibly voiced her curiosity. Turning her head, she saw two boys heading her way. The first of the two, she noticed, had blond hair and a tanned completion. They're eyes made contact and the blond smiled. His violet eyes almost seemed to sparkle, and Fllay couldn't help but replicate the motion of his lip.

Shifting her gaze over to the blond's friend, the red haired girl saw that he was a serious youth with silver, medium length hair. In his hardened eyes, she found none of the kindness and whimsy that was contained within those of the blond.

The silver haired boy looked as though he were the lone voice of sanity in the world, as though he were surrounded in a den of morons, as though his shoulders carried a massive burden.

Fllay had seen that look before, in a similar set of blue eyes. A set of eyes belonging to Squall.

This boy, why was he so serious? What was bringing him down? What was it?

As her mind wandered and wondered, the silver haired boy had taken the liberty of sitting in the seat next to hers.

"Uh, hi." The girl lost herself in his deep blue eyes, noting their serious edge hadn't softened any.

She wondered if perhaps her face had given way to the inner workings of her mind beneath it. Did this young man realize that she was thinking about him, that she was supposing and gossiping to herself about him? Behind his back? Could he tell? Did he know? She had to do something. Damage control was now her top priority. What could she do? She had to say something, anything, but what? "Is… is something wrong?" _…smooth,_ the girl self-deprecatingly chastised her own words. He was clearly not the type of guy who appreciated either giving or receiving any form of sympathy or pity. At least, He didn't strike the redhead as that kind of guy.

"You're in my seat," the silver haired boy quietly responded.

A momentary blanket of silence enveloped the pair, until it was utterly shattered by a cacophony of loud, rambunctious laughter. Looking ahead of her, she noticed somebody sitting in the seat in front of her, in the row before hers.

It was the dark skinned blond. "The stick in the mud there is called Yzak," he said, introducing his friend to the girl, "and I'm known as Dearka." He offered his hand to the red haired girl.

"I'm Fllay," the girl replied, taking the blond's hand in her own. She noticed the way Dearka looked at her. The confident smile he wore. Once again, she felt the corners of her lips pull upwards, and again, she could do nothing to resist their autonomous tugging.

"Do I have to put up with this," Yzak sickeningly asked.

"C'mon Yzak. I know you're just jealous that she likes me best." Before long, Fllay found herself laughing at the pair. This was exactly what she'd had in mind when she thought of meeting new people and making new friends in this class.

Their merriment was cut short however, when a teacher, of all people, appeared in the class. Walking between the desks, the bald man gave out lacklustre gifts to each one of his students.

Traveling up and down the various isles of desks, the teacher handed a thick textbook to the occupants of each desk. All the while, the stern look never once left his knit brow, in all its brown thickness. His wide eyes and pursed lips stared pointedly to every one of his little burdens for the year.

With his first menial task completed, their teacher promptly returned to his desk, calling out the names on his attendance register and marking down for security purposes which student had received which loaner textbook.

Turning to the desks behind him, Dearka grinned. "So," he began…

The class progressed until eventually, all eyes turned to the clock. "Well, that's thirty minutes we'll never see again," Yzak commented.

"True, but it wasn't a bad way to kill a half hour," Dearka commented.

"Yeah, I can think of worse ways to spend thirty minutes," Fllay chipped in, announcing her agreement with the blond."

Since the school clocks all ran on the same circuit rather than being individual, independent devices, they all kept to the same time. It was a system unique to Dnaletsaw Central High School. No other workplace had such electronic conformity. Once the red LED display on the digital, twenty four hour clocks read '1100,' the school's foghorn-like bell rang throughout the grounds, penetrating wall, door, and window, making itself heard by all, announcing to student and faculty alike that it was time for the lunch period to begin.

Eleven in the morning through to midday. It was perhaps an early time for lunch, but students learned to adapt, and when they left school, they would adapt again.

The moment the school bell had rung in all its electronic synthesized glory, the students of 3GENGI had taken that as their signal to depart the monotonous classroom and get on with their lives. Their social lives, which would occupy them for the next hour until they were to be handed in and confiscated by their respective teachers.

The instant the bell had sounded, the students had swiftly and noisily stuffed books, both owned and borrowed, into their backpacks without care or thought and risen to their feet.

They had haphazardly, chaotically marched unceremoniously and without order to their respective self-designated posts for the lunch period, the teacher among them.

Fllay and her newfound friends were no exception to the social rule of the school, and they too found themselves automatically drifting towards their regular positions.

That was, until they realized something. They had never joined up for lunch before, and as such, had no pre-prepared plans as to where they should go, or even if they should go anywhere or be seen together. Neither knew of the others friends.

Should they split up now? Should they meet up with Fllay's friends? Should they join Yzak's and Dearka's friends? Or should they find their own place at which to sit and hang out?

These things, to which they were unprepared. These things, to which they had no idea, no inkling of a plan. For this, something had to be done. For this, decisions would have to be made. These things would have to be discussed. These things would have to be decided upon, and quickly.

Now was the time.

"Where do you guys go?" Fllay asked, deciding to get the necessary conversation started. While some, like Squall, would simply opt for the easy approach of separating, Fllay was too much of an opportunist for that. "You know, for lunch."

"You know the line of oak trees behind the library?"

"Yeah?"

"That's where we go."

"Okay," Fllay replied thoughtfully.

"You should come with us."

"Hey, what are you thinking?" Yzak protested.

"What's the problem?"

"You can't just invite someone like that."

"Why not? The more the merrier, isn't that what they say?"

"Sure, that's the expression, but it's not the truth. It doesn't apply in this case!"

"Yzak, you know, you kinda have some issues you need to work out." What followed was silence. Total and unrelenting. The other two seemed speechless. "Like your xenophobia, for instance."

"What did you say?" Yzak bellowed.

"There's also the fact that you complain every time anyone new joins the group. Just like the last time. You raised holy hell about him, and it's not like we've all been torn apart by the guy." Yzak's piercing blue eyes narrowed. How could he possibly have forgotten?

"You saw what that bastard did to Lacus." Fllay stared at the silver haired boy through wide eyes. Lacus? The girl from her Home Economics class? The one partnered with Kira? Could they possibly be talking about the same Lacus? Who else were they talking about? Who was the 'he' in their conversation? What did he do to the pink haired girl? What happened?

"Um, who are you talking about?"

"It's nothing," Dearka dismissed. "Just a friend of ours, so do you want to come with us?" After a thoughtful pause in which Fllay quickly weighed up her options, she inevitably declined.

"Maybe some other time. I have to go meet someone."

"Okay, see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah."

"I'll be looking forward to it." After flashing one last smile, the blond turned and took off in the direction of the library, Yzak in tow.

Watching them leave, Fllay started off on her own. Rinoa would be waiting for her at the usual place. So, without wasting any time, the red haired girl made her way there, passing students and buildings. Classroom blocks and trees, park benches arranged for social seating arrangements offered to the students before class and during break periods.

So many new faces. People she didn't recognise. Most of them turned their heads to look as she walked past. Fllay was certainly well known within the school. If Squall had been Rinoa's right hand man, then Fllay had always been her left hand girl.

"Hi-i!"

Finally, someone the redhead knew. The brunette had just rounded a corner, calling in greeting, lengthening the word to two syllables the way she often did.

"Miriallia," the red haired girl called in greeting as the two adjusted their direction and speed so that they could walk together. "So, have you met anyone new?"

"Huh?" Miriallia absentmindedly asked, lost in thought. "Oh, yeah. I did. A couple of people."

"Really? So did I. They actually invited me to spend lunch break with them… at least… one of them did."

"What did you tell them?"

"Some other time."

"Oh, okay…"

"One of the guys I met was really funny. He had me laughing pretty much all the way through English Lan."

"Sounds like the guy I met," Miriallia snorted, "except my guy only _thinks _he's funny. Stupid blond…"

"Something wrong?" The way the brunette walked. The expression on her face, the look in her eye. They all told Fllay that something was up. She was thinking about something. But as for what that was, the Redhead simply couldn't tell.

"No… but before I forget, I kinda invited someone to join our group. That's okay, right?"

"I dunno. I guess it depends on who it is. I mean, you'll have to ask Rinoa about that."

"Yeah, I guess so. I hope it doesn't cause any problems. I mean, I like her. She's really nice and I don't want her to feel rejected. I don't think she has any friends at this school yet."

"She doesn't have any friends?" Fllay repeated in disbelief."

"No. Well, I guess it makes sense. She's new, so this is her first day at a new school."

"What's she like?"

"I dunno. I think she's still trying to find her place, so she seemed kind of timid. Some of the jerks in her other classes were harassing her. That's one of the reasons why I invited her."

"Well, she needs time to sprout. That's the problem with befriending new students. You never know how they will turn out."

"Do you think Rinoa will refuse her?"

"I dunno… We'll have to wait and see. What does she look like?"

"Hmn…" Miriallia hummed, thinking back to the girl's pale skin, her perfect green eyes, her short, brown hair, flipped upwards at her neckline. "Cute," the brunette admitted without thinking.

"Cute?" Fllay questioned.

"Ah, yeah." Miriallia's eyes had widened at that admission. Why had she blurted out that scrap of information? Sure, it was true, Miriallia did think the new girl was cute, but that wasn't the kind of thing one should say out loud.

"How so?"

"I don't know. It's just everything about her. Her brown hair kind of flips at the ends. You know, it kind of curls upward… sort of." The girl struggled to explain, babbling incoherently, embarrassingly. Yet she continued. "She's got these bright green eyes and skin like milk." Fllay nodded, thinking that this new girl sounded a lot like Miriallia.

The redhead couldn't help but wonder whether the brunette beside her had fallen in love with her reflection in the mirror.

"And her voice… it's the sweetest sound I've ever heard. And her accent, it's so adorable."

"What kind of accent?"

"It's the cutest British accent you'll ever hear."

"She's British?"

"Yeah. She's been moving around a lot with her family. Now, they've settled here."

"For how long?"

"I don't know."

"Well, don't get your hopes up."

"Wait… what do you mean?"

"I mean she may not stick around for very long. By the way you talk about her, it sounds like you really like her."

"Maybe. We just met. I don't know her too well yet, but… I dunno. I guess she just made a really good first impression."

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Why, what else could it be?" Fllay shrugged her shoulders.

"It sounds to me like someone might have a teeny tiny crush on the new girl." At those words, Miriallia froze, her eyes widened to horrified proportions.

No, it couldn't be. That was impossible, wasn't it? "No! You're wrong. You're wrong Fllay!" the girl argued, but the redhead had sped off without her. "Flla-ay!" the brunette moaned in protest.

"Look," the red haired girl announced, motioning her friend to hush and focus her attention to a space in the distance.

"It's Rinoa. And… is that Squall?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't think she wanted anything to do with him anymore. Why are they talking?"

"You're guess is as good as mine. I wonder what they could be saying."

* * *

She moved her arm to stretch out the muscles within before allowing it to rest on the thin, black, wire-like frame of the chair. Fuck this seat was uncomfortable, even down to the harsh cushion below her.

How long was she going to be kept waiting?

At least she wasn't alone in here. There was one other. A tall man with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He had short brown hair and a bored expression resting upon his features.

"I can't believe I've been sent to the principal's office like a kid," he drawled.

"What, you too?" the woman replied. The pair of them seemed to be in the same situation. Rebecca wondered whether the cause was the same. Was this guy in trouble for being too rough with his students?

In trouble. It was funny. They were like brats sent before the school principal. Just like children. Just like a pair of spoiled brats.

"So what are you in for?" the man jokingly asked.

Before Rebecca could answer, a man with short, layered, brown hair stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. He was dressed in the uniform of the School's administration: A white-collar shirt with a green tie and brown, woollen knit vest, matching the colour of his trousers, shoes, and belt.

He passed his two visitors without a word and walked around his desk, sitting in his comfortable-looking executive, leather chair. So much more comfortable that the poorly built piles of shit on which Rebecca and the other brown haired man sat.

Interlacing his fingers, elbows resting upon his large, oak desk, Cid Kramer eyed his two visitors over the thin wire frames of his glasses. His opinion of them couldn't be plainer. He didn't even need to voice it, they could tell, yet he did so anyway.

"I am disappointed."

_Oh, here we go,_ Rebecca thought. She could feel the clichéd lecturing parent routine coming on. Was this guy for real? Was he serious? She hadn't wanted to waste her time teaching classes in the first place.

"I don't know how things are where you come from, but we don't do that kind of thing here. It was wrong of you. A teacher should be able to keep her feelings out of her job. What you do on your own time is your business, but on these grounds, during school hours, I expect you to act with a bit of professionalism."

"What did you do?" the brown haired teacher asked.

"I hit a couple of my students." He smirked.

"Hard to resist, huh?"

"You know it," Rebecca replied. "They were asking for it."

"What could they possibly have done to deserve what you did to them? I personally have seen them in the infirmary. They are a real mess."

"They refused to keep their smart mouths shut."

"So you tried to kill them?"

"I just taught those gilded cunts a lesson. Trust me, if I were serious about killing those two, they wouldn't be breathing." Something about the woman caused Cid to believe what she said. "I had to show them who was boss. If I hadn't, they'd be trying to walk and fuck all over me."

"Please refrain from using that kind of language in here."

"What, English? Sorry, I don't speak Japanese."

"You know what I mean. You will not use profanities with me."

"Whatever you say, bossman."

"Well, I think that clears everything up."

"Wait, what about him?" Revy asked, gesturing her thumb toward the brown haired man in the chair beside hers.

"He is here for the same reason as you. You both need to find ways to remain calm in stressful environments. I'm recommending that the both of you take a course of anger management."

"Fuck that," both man and woman replied simultaneously, turning to look at each other after the odd occurrence. Perhaps they weren't so different.

"Very well, the choice is yours, but I suggest you do something. One more incident like this one and the anger management will not be a mere suggestion. It will be compulsory, and your jobs will depend on it. We cannot employ people here who are unfit to be around youths. You must find some way to relieve stress after work. Do not let it erupt on the job."

"All I did was give the brat a little punch to the gut. Maybe if one of his parents had a pair of balls they could've saved me the trouble." Cid narrowed his eyes, changing his neutral expression to a glare.

"There was more to it than that, and you know it."

"Really?" the brown haired man asked. What was it?"

"Well," Rebecca began, "one of the brats I hit did mention something about being this guy's son." Bando's eyes widened and he allowed his laughter to belt out. "And… I may have insinuated that he would wind up on the street, selling his ass to make ends meet."

"I am very disappointed," Cid repeated, as if to send the message home, not that it did much good. He was barely heard over his two employee's laughter. It was as though they were old friends laughing about old times over a few drinks. "I expected better of Japanese employees." That caused the merriment to stop.

"Is that racism I detect in your tone?" asked Rebecca, her voice low and dangerous.

"Not all Japanese people are white-collar stiffs," the man added.

"Thank Holy Fuckin' Jesus for that," Rebecca replied.

"Would you two kindly leave?" Cid asked, "I have seen quite enough of the both of you."

"Fine, whatever," Rebecca answered, thankful to get out of the stuffy, white room. "Oh, and I'm not Japanese. I'm Chinese. You might want to get your facts straight next time. You sound like a fuckin' moron when you lump Eurasian countries together like that.

After heading out of the office and reaching the liberating fresh air, Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she was out of there. She was about to leave, when someone called her back. It was the brown haired teacher who accompanied her in the school principal's office.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"You got a name?"

"I could ask you the same."

"I'm Bando."

"Rebecca."

"I was thinking about what Kramer said. You know, about finding a method of stress relief outside of work. I think I know something we could do together. You interested?"

Revy turned around and eyed the brown haired man. "I'm listening."

"Tell me, how does a firing range sound to you?" At the sound of that, the Chinese woman couldn't stop the twitching corner of her lips from suddenly jerking upward.

* * *

**I finally got this done. You should probably know that I won't be updating any more of these longer-chapter stories for a while. (Rock Bottom; Thy Forsaken Soul.) The good news? This means that some of my other stories will have higher priority In the meantime (Daddy's Disappointment; The Brother's Zala, Lucy of the Leaf, and Nowhere.)**

**References:**

**She wasn't after some big reward simply for her ability to hear things, was she? - reference to Metalocalypse - Skwisgar: "So what do you want, a be able to hear things award?**

**Voice of the wretched - reference to the live album by My Dying Bride**

**Guilded Cunt - reference to the Cradle of Filth song**

**Squall's monologue about being his own worst enemy is based on an epiphany I had at school back in 2004**

**I was listening to various Silverstein songs while writing the accounting lesson, so they may have influenced it somewhat. Mainly songs like 'Vanity and Greed; and 'True Romance.'**


End file.
